Rx Pad: All About Oseltamivir
(MedPage Today) -- Everything there is to know about neuraminidase inhibitors. (Source: MedPage Today Primary Care)
Source: MedPage Today Primary Care - January 26, 2015 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news

GPs privately urged to prescribe Tamiflu despite concerns
WORKFORCE: NHS England is encouraging GPs to prescribe Tamiflu to care and nursing home patients as a preventative measure, despite concerns about its effectiveness. (Source: HSJ)
Source: HSJ - January 23, 2015 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Pediatric Flu: One Size Does Not Fit All
(MedPage Today) -- Controversy continues over oseltamivir, but dont throw the baby out with the bathwater (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)
Source: MedPage Today Public Health - January 21, 2015 Category: American Health Source Type: news

Why Transparency And Data Sharing In Clinical Trials Matters
We’re in the middle of a major flu epidemic, and the CDC has recommended treatment with an antiviral (e.g., Tamiflu or Relenza) for high-risk people. Yet there is considerable controversy over whether Tamiflu even works and, despite promises, Roche staunchly refused to release all their data for others to verify for years. The Cochrane Collaborative⁠ was finally able to review data and, in 2014, reported that Tamiflu did not reduce the number of hospitalizations, and they could not tell whether it reduced deaths. While it did reduce symptoms marginally (by less than one day), a large number of people who take i...
Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News - January 15, 2015 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Judy Stone Source Type: news

CDC urges wider use of antivirals to combat flu
In the midst of a serious flu outbreak, health officials are encouraging use of drugs like Tamiflu to shorten the illness (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)
Source: Health News: CBSNews.com - January 10, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news

Order Antivirals Before Influenza Is Lab-Confirmed, CDC SaysOrder Antivirals Before Influenza Is Lab-Confirmed, CDC Says
Underutilized antivirals such as oseltamivir can keep people out of the hospital and save lives, says the CDC, and in a bad flu season, they're needed more than ever. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines)
Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines - January 10, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Infectious Diseases News Alert Source Type: news

Flu season: The flu shot and what parents need to know now
The 2014-15 flu season is here, and it’s reached epidemic proportions. This season’s strain appears particularly nasty. About half of the United States is contending with high levels of flu activity, which means an onslaught of symptoms like fever, runny or stuff nose, cough and sore throat. Massachusetts has not been hit as hard as some other areas of the country. But the relative lull in flu activity might be the calm before the storm. The flu season will last for several more weeks, especially in areas that have not yet seen significant activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Got...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - January 6, 2015 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Lisa Fratt Source Type: news

FDA Approves Peramivir (Rapivab) for InfluenzaFDA Approves Peramivir (Rapivab) for Influenza
A neuraminidase inhibitor, peramivir is administered intravenously, unlike oseltamivir or zanamivir, giving clinicians another treatment option. FDA Approvals (Source: Medscape Infectious Diseases Headlines)
Source: Medscape Infectious Diseases Headlines - December 22, 2014 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Infectious Diseases News Alert Source Type: news

Questioning Medicine: Why Is Tamiflu Still Around?
(MedPage Today) -- Tamiflu doesn't help, so why are docs still prescribing it? (Source: MedPage Today Pediatrics)
Source: MedPage Today Pediatrics - December 12, 2014 Category: Pediatrics Source Type: news

Oseltamivir Not Linked to Suicide Risk in Pediatric Patients
No significant link for oseltamivir exposure or flu diagnosis with suicide in case - crossover analysis (Source: The Doctors Lounge - Psychiatry)
Source: The Doctors Lounge - Psychiatry - November 11, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Tags: Family Medicine, Infections, Nursing, Pediatrics, Pharmacy, Psychiatry, Journal, Source Type: news

Baloxavir Superior to Placebo for Alleviating Flu Symptoms
Shorter median time to alleviation of symptoms versus placebo; similar alleviation time to oseltamivir (Source: Pulmonary Medicine News - Doctors Lounge)
Source: Pulmonary Medicine News - Doctors Lounge - November 11, 2014 Category: Respiratory Medicine Tags: Family Medicine, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Infections, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Nursing, Pediatrics, Pharmacy, Pulmonology, Journal, Source Type: news

Did Tamiflu reviewers have a bad case of the financial conflict bug?
We report and comment on medical innovations and advances – from bench to bedside – touching on scientific, business and policy issues. Our ranks include science writers, physicians, lab researchers, market analysts and others inside and outside the hospital. By Tom Ulrich This winter, if your doctor suggests that you take Tamiflu, you might want to ask for a conflict of interest statement: a new study suggests that doctors who received payments from the makers of flu-fighting neuraminidase inhibitors – drugs like Tamiflu® and Relenza® – were more likely to view the drugs' prowes...
Source: Mass Device - October 17, 2014 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: MassDevice Tags: Vector Blog Source Type: news

Collaboration needed to wipe out rabies
Medics and vets must work together on preventionRelated items from OnMedicaCoronavirus ‘not yet reached pandemic potential’Tamiflu reduced risk of death in H1N1 influenza pandemicUN describes Ebola as ‘threat to peace and security’Global effort to fight Ebola threat - stepped upMore investment needed to prevent new pandemics (Source: OnMedica Latest News)
Source: OnMedica Latest News - September 29, 2014 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Oseltamivir and Influenza -- The Rush to JudgmentOseltamivir and Influenza -- The Rush to Judgment
A meta-analysis of oseltamivir therapy in healthy adults and children showed minimal clinical effectiveness but did not address the issue of oseltamivir use in severely ill or hospitalized patients. Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) (Source: Medscape Infectious Diseases Headlines)
Source: Medscape Infectious Diseases Headlines - May 23, 2014 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Infectious Diseases Viewpoint Source Type: news

Tamiflu: drugs given for swine flu 'were waste of £500m'
Drug Tamiflu does nothing to halt the spread of influenza and Government wasted nearly £500?million stockpiling it over swine flu pandemic, study finds (Source: The Telegraph : Swine Flu A H1N1)
Source: The Telegraph : Swine Flu A H1N1 - May 13, 2014 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: influenza drugs pandemic tamiflu swine flu Source Type: news