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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new antiviral treatment for the flu.

Xofluza is approved for people 12 and older who have had flu symptoms for less than 48 hours and have not developed complications.

“This is the first new antiviral flu treatment with a novel mechanism of action approved by the FDA in nearly 20 years," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a news release.

One of the unique aspects of the new drug is that it is taken in a single dose. Other antiviral treatments for influenza require multiple doses over multiple days. Tamiflu, for example, requires the patient to take two doses a day for five days. Relenza, an inhaled treatment, requires one dose per day for 10 days.

(MORE: CDC Says 80,000 People Died of the Flu In the U.S. Last Season)

Xofluza, also known as baloxavir marboxil, will not cure the flu, However, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the pill could help patients recover more quickly, reduce the severity of their symptoms and lower their risk of more serious complications.

The study was funded in part by the company that created the drug, Shionogi & Co.

Xofluza was tested in two clinical trials with 1,832 patients. Some received Xofluza, others received a placebo and another group received Tamiflu, the FDA said. Patients treated with Xofluza recovered more quickly compared with patients who took the placebo. There was no difference in the recovery time between Xofluza and Tamiflu.

(MORE: 7 Reasons To Get a Flu Shot Now)

The pill will cost $150, the New York Times reported, and it should be available within weeks. You will need a prescription to get it.

Genentech, which will sell Xofluza in the United States, is offering coupons that cut the price to $30 for patients with insurance and to about $90 for those without.

Dr. Rebekah Gee, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, told USA Today, "Although there is no substitute for the flu vaccine, we appreciate the development of any medication that assists in the treatment of influenza. These medications can be lifesaving for those seriously ill, and the single dose makes it a much easier treatment to complete."

Last year's flu season was the deadliest in at least four decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said. About 80,000 people died with the flu.

(MORE: What You Need to Know About This Year's Flu Vaccine)

The CDC said it expects this year's flu vaccine to be more effective, and it is urging people not to let the poor performance of last year’s vaccine keep them from getting a flu shot this year.

Dr. Gottlieb of the FDA said, “While there are several FDA-approved antiviral drugs to treat flu, they’re not a substitute for yearly vaccination. Flu season is already well underway, and the (CDC) recommends getting vaccinated by the end of October, as seasonal flu vaccine is one of the most effective and safest ways to protect yourself, your family and your community from the flu and serious flu-related complications, which can result in hospitalizations. Yearly vaccination is the primary means of preventing and controlling flu outbreaks.”