The FDA approved the biotechnology company Genentech's Xofluza drug to treat children aged 5-12 with influenza.
Xofluza is the first single-dose influenza drug approved by the FDA to treat children in that age group. Xofluza was also approved for the prevention of influenza after contact in children aged 5-12, according to the Aug. 11 Genentech news release.
"Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, influenza continues to be a threat to public health, and effective influenza antivirals remain critical to alleviating the burden on healthcare systems," CMO and Head of Global Product Development Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, said. "Xofluza has proven to be an important tool in fighting and preventing influenza in adults as well as adolescents, and we are pleased to now offer households and younger children our single-dose oral treatment."