The Best Flu Drug Americans Aren't Taking

"Antiviral drugs for influenza, the best known of which is Tamiflu, are-let's be honest-not exactly miracle cures. They marginally shorten the course of illness, especially if taken within the first 48 hours. But amid possibly the worst flu season in 25 years, driven by a variant imperfectly matched to the vaccine, these underused drugs can make a bout of flu a little less miserable. So consider an antiviral. And specifically, consider Xofluza, a lesser-known drug that is in fact better than Tamiflu."

"For flu, antivirals are a second but oft-overlooked line of defense after vaccines. "We are dramatically and drastically underutilizing influenza antivirals," Janet Englund, a pediatric-infectious-disease specialist at the University of Washington, told me. Even the older, more commonly prescribed drug Tamiflu reaches only a tiny percentage of flu patients every year. Actual numbers are hard to come by, but compare the estimated 1.2 million prescriptions for Tamiflu and its generic form in 2023 with the some 40 million people who likely got the flu."

Antiviral drugs for influenza marginally shorten illness duration, especially when started within 48 hours. Xofluza outperforms Tamiflu and can make infections less miserable. The 2023-24 season is among the worst in 25 years, driven by H3N2 subclade K that was identified too late for inclusion in the vaccine. Early data indicate the vaccine may offer some protection against that variant, but effectiveness is uncertain. Influenza cases surged nationwide, with New York hospitalizations reaching record levels and a near-synchronous rise across regions. Antivirals remain dramatically underutilized; only about 1.2 million Tamiflu prescriptions were dispensed in 2023 compared with an estimated 40 million flu cases, and Xofluza prescriptions are even fewer.

Read at The Atlantic