Background: Immunocompromised patients infected with influenza virus require prolonged treatment with neuraminidase inhibitors, because these patients are not able to eradicate the virus from the respiratory tract, leading to the emergence of drug-resistant mutant viruses.
Methods: In this study, we examined the efficacy of baloxavir marboxil in nude mice that were immunologically deficient.
Results: Daily treatment with a suboptimal dose of baloxavir marboxil increased the survival time of the virus-infected nude mice but did not clear the virus from their respiratory organs, resulting in gradual body weight loss after termination of treatment.
Conclusions: Despite the prolonged baloxavir marboxil treatment, few resistant mutants were detected.
Keywords: baloxavir marboxil; drug resistance; immunocompromised; influenza.
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