While the U.S. grapples with one of the deadliest flu seasons in recent history, a Japanese drugmaker claims it has a new treatment that can kill the illness in one day.
According to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal, the company, called Shionogi & Co., says that a recent trial of the compound showed that the median time for ridding patients with influenza was 24 hours. Currently, a patient’s best treatment for the flu is Tamilu, which takes three times as long to be effective. Patients taking the new drug also only need one dose, compared to two doses per day for five days with Tamiflu.
Researchers from the company reportedly took a similar approach to the one they used when developing a revolutionary HIV treatment which blocks the virus from hijacking human cellular machinery.
The treatment has been fast-tracked for approval in Japan and the company plans to submit it for approval in the U.S. this summer.
Roche, the maker of Tamiflu, worked with the company to help develop the new treatment.
Read the full WSJ report.
