Mechanism of Action

Baloxavir marboxil is a prodrug that is converted by hydrolysis to baloxavir, the active form that exerts anti-influenza virus activity. Baloxavir inhibits the endonuclease activity of the polymerase acidic (PA) protein, an influenza virus-specific enzyme in the viral RNA polymerase complex required for viral gene transcription, resulting in inhibition of influenza virus replication. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of baloxavir ranged from 1.4 to 3.1 nM (n=4) for influenza A viruses and 4.5 to 8.9 nM (n=3) for influenza B viruses in a PA endonuclease assay. Viruses with reduced susceptibility to baloxavir have amino acid substitutions in the PA protein.

Antiviral Activity

The antiviral activity of baloxavir against laboratory strains and clinical isolates of influenza A and B viruses was determined in an MDCK cell-based plaque reduction assay. The median 50% effective concentration (EC50) values of baloxavir were 0.73 nM (n=31; range: 0.20–1.85 nM) for subtype A/H1N1 strains, 0.83 nM (n=33; range: 0.35–2.63 nM) for subtype A/H3N2 strains, and 5.97 nM (n=30; range: 2.67–14.23 nM) for type B strains. In an MDCK cell-based virus titer reduction assay, the 90% effective concentration (EC90) values of baloxavir against avian subtypes A/H5N1 and A/H7N9 were in the range of 0.80 to 3.16 nM. The relationship between antiviral activity in cell culture and clinical response to treatment in humans has not been established.

Resistance

Cell culture: Influenza A virus isolates with reduced susceptibility to baloxavir were selected by serial passage of virus in cell culture in the presence of increasing concentrations of baloxavir. Reduced susceptibility of influenza A virus to baloxavir was conferred by amino acid substitutions I38T (A/H1N1 and A/H3N2) and E199G (A/H3N2) in the PA protein of the viral RNA polymerase complex. 

Clinical studies: Influenza A and B viruses with treatment-emergent amino acid substitutions at positions associated with reduced susceptibility to baloxavir in cell culture were observed in clinical studies (Table 6). In adult and adolescent subjects who had a confirmed influenza virus infection, the overall frequencies of treatment-emergent amino acid substitutions associated with reduced susceptibility to baloxavir were 4.5% (6/134), 10.9% (53/485), and 0.9% (2/224) in influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B virus infections, respectively, in pooled data from Trials 1, 2, and 3 [see Clinical Studies (14)]. In Trial 4, of 374 subjects, including 71 subjects <12 years of age, who received XOFLUZA post-exposure prophylaxis, 49 were viral RNA-positive post-baseline, including 31 subjects who were evaluated for resistance. Of these 31 subjects, influenza virus with substitutions associated with reduced susceptibility to baloxavir was identified in 7/7 subjects who developed clinical influenza (as described for the primary endpoint) and 8/24 other subjects evaluated who did not meet the primary endpoint definition for clinical influenza [see Clinical Studies (14)]. Selection of influenza viruses with reduced susceptibility to baloxavir has occurred at higher frequencies in pediatric subjects, and such viruses were detected with overall frequencies of 20% (4/20), 27.9% (34/122), and 0% (0/21) in influenza A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B virus infections, respectively, in pooled data from 3 pediatric treatment trials in subjects <12 years of age. 

None of the treatment-emergent substitutions associated with reduced susceptibility to baloxavir were identified in virus from pretreatment respiratory specimens in the clinical studies. Strains containing substitutions known to be associated with reduced susceptibility to baloxavir were identified in approximately 0.05% of PA sequences in the National Center for Biotechnology Information/GenBank database (queried August 2018).

Prescribers should consider currently available surveillance information on influenza virus drug susceptibility patterns and treatment effects when deciding whether to use XOFLUZA.

Cross-Resistance

Cross-resistance between baloxavir and neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors, or between baloxavir and M2 proton pump inhibitors (adamantanes), is not expected because these drugs target different viral proteins. Baloxavir is active against NA inhibitor-resistant strains, including A/H1N1 and A/H5N1 viruses with the NA substitution H275Y (A/H1N1 numbering), A/H3N2 virus with the NA substitutions E119V or R292K, A/H7N9 virus with the NA substitution R292K (A/H3N2 numbering), and type B virus with the NA substitutions R152K or D198E (A/H3N2 numbering). The NA inhibitor oseltamivir is active against viruses with reduced susceptibility to baloxavir, including A/H1N1 virus with PA substitutions E23K or I38F/T, A/H3N2 virus with PA substitutions E23G/K, A37T, I38M/T, or E199G, and type B virus with the PA substitution I38T. Influenza virus may carry amino acid substitutions in PA that reduce susceptibility to baloxavir and at the same time carry resistance-associated substitutions for NA inhibitors and M2 proton pump inhibitors. The clinical relevance of phenotypic cross-resistance evaluations has not been established.

Immune Response

Interaction studies with influenza vaccines and baloxavir marboxil have not been conducted.