Antivirals for Treating Influenza

Edina Avdic, PharmD, MBA, BCPS-AQ ID, associate director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, discusses current antiviral treatments for influenza. This video was filmed at the ASHP (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) 54th Clinical Meeting & Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Edina Avdic, PharmD, MBA, BCPS-AQ ID: What are the current antiviral agents that are available for treatment of influenza? Well, there are only 2 classes of agents that are currently available: those are neuraminidase inhibitors which have been in the market for quite some time, and we have 3 agents in this class. So that’s oseltamivir (Tamiflu) that’s available orally only; zanamivir (Relenza), which is an inhaler; and peramivir (Rapivab), which is available as an IV. Last year, in October, a new agent was approved: baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza) that has a novel mechanism of action, and that’s available currently only in oral form.