A promising new drug called
baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza) developed in Japan has been shown to stop the flu virus from spreading 24 hours after intake.
The drug interferes with
influenza A and influenza B's main replication process instead of inhibiting the
neuraminidase enzyme, as accomplished by previous drugs such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). As shown in the illustration, viral neuraminidase sits on the surface of influenza viruses and enables it to be released once reproduced within the infected host cell.
Xofluza accomplishes its mode of action by inhibiting the
cap-dependent endonuclease activity of the
viral polymerase. It achieves this by inhibiting the process known as
cap snatching, which is a mechanism expl ...