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Review

Understanding the Impact of Resistance to Influenza Antivirals

Edward C. Holmes, Aeron C. Hurt, Zuzana Dobbie, Barry Clinch, John S. Oxford, Pedro A. Piedra
Edward C. Holmes
aMarie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
bMarie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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Aeron C. Hurt
cF. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
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Zuzana Dobbie
cF. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
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Barry Clinch
dRoche Products Ltd., Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
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John S. Oxford
eBlizzard Institute, Queen Mary College, London, United Kingdom
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Pedro A. Piedra
fDepartment of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00224-20
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SUMMARY

Influenza poses a significant burden on society and health care systems. Although antivirals are an integral tool in effective influenza management, the potential for the emergence of antiviral-resistant viruses can lead to uncertainty and hesitation among front-line prescribers and policy makers. Here, we provide an overview of influenza antiviral resistance in context, exploring the key concepts underlying its development and clinical impact. Due to the acute nature of influenza in immunocompetent patients, resistant viruses that develop during antiviral treatment of a single patient (“treatment-emergent resistance”) are usually cleared in a relatively short time, with no impact on future antiviral efficacy. In addition, although available data are limited by small numbers of patients, they show that antiviral treatment still provides clinical benefit to the patient within whom resistance emerges. In contrast, the sustained community transmission of resistant variants in the absence of treatment (“acquired resistance”) is of greater concern and can potentially render front-line antivirals ineffective. Importantly, however, resistant viruses are usually associated with reduced fitness such that their widespread transmission is relatively rare. Influenza antivirals are an essential part of effective influenza management due to their ability to reduce the risk of complications and death in infected patients. Although antiviral resistance should be taken seriously and requires continuous careful monitoring, it is not comparable to antibiotic resistance in bacteria, which can become permanent and widespread, with far-reaching medical consequences. The benefits of antiviral treatment far outweigh concerns of potential resistance, which in the vast majority of cases does not have a significant clinical impact.

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Understanding the Impact of Resistance to Influenza Antivirals
Edward C. Holmes, Aeron C. Hurt, Zuzana Dobbie, Barry Clinch, John S. Oxford, Pedro A. Piedra
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Feb 2021, 34 (2) e00224-20; DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00224-20

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Understanding the Impact of Resistance to Influenza Antivirals
Edward C. Holmes, Aeron C. Hurt, Zuzana Dobbie, Barry Clinch, John S. Oxford, Pedro A. Piedra
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Feb 2021, 34 (2) e00224-20; DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00224-20
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  • Top
  • Article
    • SUMMARY
    • INTRODUCTION
    • THE EVOLUTION OF DRUG RESISTANCE
    • CLINICAL IMPACT OF ANTIVIRAL RESISTANCE
    • FITNESS AND TRANSMISSION OF RESISTANT VIRUSES
    • MONITORING RESISTANCE
    • CONCLUSIONS
    • ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    • REFERENCES
    • Author Bios
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

KEYWORDS

Antiviral Agents
drug resistance evolution
influenza

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