There is a drug that can kill the flu, according to a clinical trial. The drug is called Xofluza and is manufactured by Shionogi, a Japanese drug maker. It’s not like Tamiflu, wherein it simply lowers the chances of suffering serious complications because of the virus – it doesn’t kill the virus. It’s claimed that Xofluza kills the virus and works very differently compared to Tamiflu:
… it inhibits an enzyme the flu virus needs to replicate. The drug can work in 24 hours because it inhibits a process known as “cap snatching,” which is a mechanism used by viruses to hijack the mRNA (a nucleic acid in living cells that acts as a messenger for DNA) transcription system to allow the creation of viral RNAs, Sherif Mossad, M.D., an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. He calls Xofluza an “excellent addition” to current flu-fighting medications. “This could lead to easier treatment of flu,” he adds.
For Xofluza to be available in the U.S., it would have to comply with the standards of the Food and Drug Administration which will then have to pass animal testing before drugmakers can apply for FDA approval. Many find this approval process debatable and are basically stating that “If it’s good for Japan, then why not for the U.S.?”.
Read more about it at Yahoo Lifestyle: Japan has a new drug that could kill the flu in 24 hours. So why doesn’t the U.S. have it?