Roche's antiviral therapy Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) has received an expanded label in China, now approved for the treatment of influenza in children as young as 1 year old. The approval covers both the tablet and dry suspension formulations, extending treatment access from previously age 5 and above down to age 1 and above. This makes Xofluza the first single-dose oral antiviral available for this very young paediatric population in the country.

The expanded approvals are supported by two Phase III studies, MINISTONE-2 and DRAGONSTONE, which demonstrated that Xofluza was well-tolerated and effective in children aged 1 to under 12 years. Compared to the neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir, Xofluza significantly shortened the duration of viral shedding.

PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database shows that Roche continues to develop the treatment in COVID-19. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.