Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche has submitted approval application of an innovative influenza therapy to the Chinese drug authority, announced the company on Friday during the ongoing China International Import Expo.

The therapy, the first and only single-dose oral drug approved for the treatment of influenza and the first anti-influenza drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, is also being showcased at the expo.

The company's data showed that if a close contact of a flu patient takes the drug, the risk of him or her getting infected with influenza drops by 86 percent.

Chen Erzhen, vice-president of Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, said he believed that the therapy will benefit many individuals, including children and the elderly, as anti-viral treatment within 48 hours of falling ill for flu is essential to reduce the incidence of complications and minimize mortality.

"People's awareness to prevent acute respiratory infectious diseases, including flu, is of particular importance in this autumn and winter amid the COVID-19 pandemic," Chen said.