Drug update - Baloxavir marboxil: Latest entrant into the arena of pharmacotherapy of influenza.

Influenza is a frequent cause of clinically significant human disease, with seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics. Uncomplicated influenza in healthy individuals is managed symptomatically. Vaccination against influenza plays a vital role in the control of infection in humans. The currently available antivirals include adamantanes, neuraminidase inhibitors, and ribavirin. Baloxavir marboxil, the prodrug of baloxavir, is the latest addition to the family of anti-influenza drugs, and it received US-FDA approval on October 24, 2018. Baloxavir acts through a novel mechanism of inhibiting Cap-dependent endonuclease (CEN), the vital step in the transcription of viral RNA, and prevents further spread of the virus.