Xofluza: FDA approves new flu drug

LOS ANGELES (KABC) –

The flu season is here and it should hit hard. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug in the fight against flu that can help you and your family.

She is called Xofluza and is approved to treat life-threatening infectious disease. This is the first time in nearly 20 years that the FDA approves a new oral drug.

Xofuluza does not replace the influenza vaccine.

"Xofluza works by actually preventing the replication of the virus," said Dr. Armand Dorian, hospital chief physician at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital.

And while other antiviral flu drugs may require you to take 10 tablets in five days, Xofluza is taken in one dose.

"Taking Xofluza decreases your symptoms for about a day," Dorian said.

The drug should be taken within the first two days of the illness and is not recommended for children.

"Unfortunately, you must be 12 years old or older to be able to take it and it's a big subset that can not take it," Dorian said. "These are our vulnerable children, but the good news is that older people can take it, so it is very important that we now have different medicines that can help the most vulnerable people."

Side effects include bronchitis and diarrhea, but Dorian believes the benefits outweigh the risks.

One thing that distinguishes Xofluxa is that it can also make you less likely to be contagious.

"It does not replace your ability or the need to wash your hands," Dorian said.

To get Xofluza, a doctor's prescription is needed. Anything purchased online is probably not the real thing.

According to the manufacturer, Genentech, Xofluza will cost $ 150. The manufacturer said it would offer coupons that would reduce the price to $ 30 for people with health insurance.