Polyoxidonium® included in a new standard of medical care for adults with influenza
The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation has approved a new standard of medical care for adults with influenza. The document updates the approach to disease management by reducing the average duration of therapy, expanding laboratory diagnostic requirements, and revising the list of medicinal products. The new standard includes Polyoxidonium® (azoximer bromide).
The updated procedure consolidates current approaches to influenza treatment. It replaces two previous standards that were in effect from 2012 to 2024: one for severe influenza and another for moderate disease.
According to the new standard, the average duration of influenza treatment is 9 days. At the same time, the scope of laboratory testing has been expanded, enabling a more objective assessment of the patient’s condition and, when necessary, adjustment of treatment tactics without unjustified extension of medication use.
One of the key changes is the revision of the list of medicines used. The list has been reduced from 51 to 29 items: antibiotics and diuretics have been removed, along with a number of agents that do not directly affect the course of viral infection.
The updated standard includes the immunomodulatory drug Polyoxidonium® (azoximer bromide). The medicine is used for the prevention and treatment of acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) and influenza. Its effects are aimed at reducing inflammation and viral intoxication, normalizing mucosal defense indicators, and lowering the risk of complications.
In 2025, Polyoxidonium® was also included in the clinical guidelines for the treatment of ARVI in adults. Previously, the product had been included in: methodological recommendations of the Russian Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA) of Russia for the prevention and treatment of influenza and other ARVI during the COVID-19 pandemic; the Ministry of Health clinical guidelines "Influenza in Adults"; the Ministry’s temporary methodological recommendations on COVID-19; and temporary recommendations for ARVI therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background information
Azoximer bromide is an original Russian medicinal product registered under the trade name Polyoxidonium®. It is used in clinical practice in Russia and abroad as part of complex therapy for ARVI and ENT diseases in adults and children from 6 months of age, and is included in the List of Vital and Essential Medicines (Essential Drug List, EDL).
