Freedom or Tyranny.com

Study finds no proof flu dose helps healthy people

reuters.com

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, Dec 11 (Reuters) – The World Health Organisation on Friday endorsed findings that there is no clear evidence the antiviral Tamiflu prevents complications such as pneumonia in otherwise healthy people with seasonal flu.

But the WHO continues to recommend that Tamiflu, made by Swiss drugmaker Roche (ROG.VX), be used immediately in people infected with the separate H1N1 virus who are at high risk of complications or whose symptoms persist for three days or worsen.

The WHO also said pandemic influenza has peaked in North America, most of Western Europe except France, and possibly in Russia as well, the WHO said in a weekly statement.

In a weekly update, it said swine flu outbreaks are still on the rise in Japan, as well as in Hong Kong and Taiwan, where peaks had previously been recorded. The virus is also circulating across most of Africa.

An updated review of past clinical trial results for Tamiflu by researchers from the Cochrane Review, published by the British Medical Journal on Tuesday, found there was insufficient data to know if the drug cut complications from flu in otherwise healthy patients.

full text here

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is allowing the use of an experimental antiviral drug to treat severe cases of H1N1 or swine flu.

The Wall Street Journal
October 2009

The drug, Peramivir, is currently being developed by BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc. and is undergoing testing required for regular FDA approval.

The FDA issued a so-called emergency use authorization late Friday that allows doctors to use Peramivir, which is delivered intravenously, in certain hospitalized adult and pediatric patients with confirmed or suspected H1N1 influenza.

A handful of doctors have already treated patients with severe cases of H1N1 using Peramivir obtained through the agency’s expanded access rules that allow individual patients to obtain experimental drugs if certain conditions are met. The emergency-use authorization allows use of the drug without prior FDA approval.

full text here