Genentech a member of the Roche Group, announced that the CAPSTONE-2, a phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy of the new flu-influenza drug baloxavir marboxil in people with high-risk complication, reached the primary end point.
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| Significant progress in the Phase III clinical study of Genentech's new influenza drug |
The flu is a serious threat to global human health. The annual flu epidemic can cause approximately 3 to 5 million patients to be seriously ill, millions of patients need hospitalization for treatment, and as many as 650,000 people die. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines the following populations as people with high-risk flu complications: elderly people 65 years of age or older, people with asthma, chronic lung disease, diabetes, or heart disease. For these patients, the flu may cause them to stay in hospital or even die. They urgently need a new drug to relieve the disease and reduce the incidence of complications.
Baloxavir marboxil was originally developed by Shionogi & Co., Japan. It is a new antiviral drug that inhibits viral replication by inhibiting cap-dependent endonuclease in influenza viruses. The mechanism of action of anti-influenza drugs is to prevent the spread of the virus in the body by targeting neuraminidase. Compared to these drugs, baloxavir marboxil targets the earlier stages of the viral replication cycle and it is effective against influenza viruses that have developed resistance to oseltamivir.
