Use of Tamiflu Questioned By Experts

According to a study reported Tuesday, experts are questioning the effectiveness of anti-viral drug Tamiflu, which is being commonly used against the spread of swine flu worldwide.

The British Medical Journal and Channel 4 News led investigation, admits the drug oseltamivir trading under brand name Tamiflu, has ‘a modest effect in reducing flu symptoms and infectivity in otherwise healthy adults’.

Making a joint statement, the media groups said, ‘researchers say there is insufficient published data to know if oseltamivir reduces complications in otherwise healthy adults’.

The investigation was aired by Channel 4 News Tuesday.

Use and stock-piling of flu drugs like oseltamivir increased dramatically, when the H1N1 or swine flu pandemic began in April 2009, with the government persuading people to get themselves vaccinated with the drug.

According to World Health Organisation figures, since its discovery in April, the global death toll due to the virus had approached 8,770 in early December, with confirmed infections in 207- countries.

Governments have been spending millions of dollars in stockpiling Tamiflu, ?500-million by the British government, over claims about the drug’s effectiveness against flu complications, both the British Medical Journal and Channel 4 said.

However, scientists from Australia’s Bond University say their research has been hampered by a ‘paucity of good data’ received from Roche, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant responsible for producing oseltamivir.

Contesting these findings, Roche stands firm behind the robustness and integrity of previous data showing benefits from the drug that competes with Relenza, a less widely used flu medication from GlaxoSmithKline that must be inhaled.