BEIJING: A groundbreaking flu treatment developed in China has been approved by the country’s top drug regulator, adding a novel tool in the global fight against influenza.
The medication, onradivir, is the first anti-influenza drug to target the PB2 protein, a component of the virus’s RNA polymerase. It has been approved for use in adult patients with uncomplicated influenza A, according to a statement from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA).
“The approval of this medication provides patients with a new treatment option,” the administration said.
The drug was jointly developed by Raynovent in Guangzhou, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, and other leading respiratory disease research institutions in China.
The development of onradivir marks a notable advancement in flu treatment strategies. Unlike existing medications, this drug acts on a unique mechanism, which could help combat drug resistance in flu viruses.
According to China Daily, the medicine is the world’s first anti-influenza drug to target the PB2 protein. Its developers describe the drug as offering “rapid, potent and low-resistance efficacy,” and call it a “Chinese solution to tackling global influenza epidemics.”
Onradivir is administered orally as a 0.6-gram tablet, with a recommended dosage of three times daily for five days.
Globally, influenza affects about 1 billion people annually, with 3 to 5 million severe cases and 290,000 to 650,000 deaths, according to health data.
Zhong Nanshan, a prominent respiratory expert and academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the drug shows quick results. During a recent event, he noted that onradivir “can quickly alleviate symptoms and suppress the viral load to a very low level within 24 hours, making it less likely for the virus to transmit.”
“At the same time, the drug also shows a low tendency to develop resistance,” Zhong added, as quoted by Nanfang Media Group.
Li Tongzeng, chief physician at Beijing You’an Hospital, who was not involved in the research, highlighted that onradivir is China’s fourth approved anti-influenza drug.
“Because onradivir targets a different mechanism than the other two drugs, it should theoretically remain effective even in cases where resistance develops in patients,” Li said. “When the next flu season arrives, we’ll have another weapon in our hands.”
With global flu burdens remaining high and viral resistance on the rise, the approval of onradivir provides a timely and innovative approach to influenza management.