For the longest time, if you came down with the flu, Tamiflu was the prescription to get. Pretty soon, there will be a new option in the mix to help curb flu symptoms.
This week, the FDA approved a new drug for the first time in decades Xofluza is made by the same company that makes Tamiflu. Here's how the drugs stack up.
DOSAGE
Tamiflu is taken twice daily for five days.
Xofluza is just one dose for five days, which health officials are calling an advantage because people don't always take all their medicine.
PRICE
According ot Consumer Reports, a Tamiflu costs $165 without insurance but could change depending on insurance coverage. They found there are generic versions of the drug that are cheaper and they found coupons online for the drug. Without insurance, Xofluza costs $150 without insurance.
AVAILABILITY
Tamiflu is already available and can be given to patients 2-weeks-old and older if symptoms have not lasted more than two days, according to the FDA.
Xofluza is expected to be available in a few weeks. It can be given to patients 12 and up.
"It doesn’t really make it go away faster than the other drugs," explains Dr. Christopher Ohl, an infectious disease expert with Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. "But Incase resistance comes up, well have another tool we can use."
Dr. Ohl explains there's not much in terms of resistance to Tamiflu and similar drugs now, but it's a possibility as flu season hits every year. He also says he expects the side effects to be similar between Tamiflu and the new drug.
He adds that a new drug doesn't mean you should ski the flu shot. That's still the best way to protect yourself from getting sick.