An experimental drug now in testing promises to kill the flu virus in one day.
In its most recent report for the week ending February 10th, the Washington State Department of Health said 176 people have died from the flu this season in our state, including six in Whatcom County, three in Skagit County, and three in Island County.
As Americans suffer through what the CDC is calling the worst flu outbreak in almost a decade, Japanese drugmaker Shionogi says it has developed a pill that in late-stage trials has been shown to kill the flu virus in a median time of 24 hours.
That’s about one third the time of the flu drug Tamiflu.
The Wall Street Journal Reports the drug, which only requires a single dose per day, could be available next year at the earliest.
The company says it will apply for FDA approval starting this summer.