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
Novel therapeutic agent for Tamiflu-resistant pH1N1 influenza virus discovered
(University of Helsinki) Researchers at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University of Helsinki, with their collaborators have shown that first Tamiflu resistant pandemic influenza pH1N1 viruses have emerged in Finland. Furthermore, they have identified a novel antiviral agent MK2206 and shown that the pH1N1 viruses are not able to develop resistance against it. (Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases)
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - April 24, 2014 Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news
Tamiflu & Relenza: How effective are they?
Experts call on government and health policy decision makers to review guidance on use of Tamiflu in light of the most recent evidence. Tamiflu (the antiviral drug oseltamivir) shortens symptoms of influenza by half a day, but there is no good evidence to support claims that it reduces admissions to hospital or complications of influenza. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - April 11, 2014 Category: Science Source Type: news
Tamiflu and Relenza: How effective are they?
Experts call on government and health policy decision makers to review guidance on use of Tamiflu in light of the most recent evidence. Tamiflu (the antiviral drug oseltamivir) shortens symptoms of influenza by half a day, but there is no good evidence to support claims that it reduces admissions to hospital or complications of influenza. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - April 11, 2014 Category: Science Source Type: news
Altmetric tracks the buzz around scholarly articles: You can make a difference
Altmetric tracks the buzz around scholarly articles - see an example: http://bit.ly/1lF9KtR You can make a difference. See how my blog contributed to one of highest ever scores in this journal for this article (ranked #7 of 972): Children with severe asthma have 32 times higher risk for developing COPD http://buff.ly/1oIJ3FHHere is the blog post: Allergy Notes: What are the top 3 asthma articles for March 2014? Vote here http://bit.ly/1hjZ6JuThe article will be included in the next edition of What Is New In Small Airways Researchhttp://www.worldallergy.org/small_airways_group/reviews/The beautiful flower of Inter...
Source: Clinical Cases and Images - April 11, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Tags: Social Media Twitter Source Type: news
Study Says Gov't Wasted Billions on Flu Drugs that Won't Stop Pandemics
Cochrane Collaboration, an independent network of research scientists, has said that governments who stockpile Roche's flu medicine Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline's drug Relenza are wasting billions of dollars on a drugs with doubtful effectiveness. (Source: PharmaManufacturing.com)
Source: PharmaManufacturing.com - April 10, 2014 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
Tamiflu: Government 'must listen' to findings
Dr Fiona Godlee, editor in chief of the British Medical Journal, says the system for drug regulation is "clearly flawed", while Dr Daniel Thurley, UK medical director of Roche, says he disagrees with the findings of a report questioning the efficacy of Tamiflu (Source: The Telegraph : Health Advice)
Source: The Telegraph : Health Advice - April 10, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Cochrane review questions benefit of Tamiflu
Ministers should review the use of a widely used anti-flu medication, researchers have said after their review questioned the efficacy of the drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu). (Source: Nursing Times Breaking News)
Source: Nursing Times Breaking News - April 10, 2014 Category: Nursing Source Type: news
Effectiveness of Tamiflu and Relenza questioned
ConclusionThis major review is particularly significant for its use of unpublished, previously confidential data from both the drug manufacturers and regulators, to verify the information in published trials. As the researchers point out, much of the trial data is unreliable for various reasons, which makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions.While it appears that these drugs have a modest benefit, there is no solid evidence that either drug can protect people from the more serious complications of influenza. Paracetamol or ibuprofen would seem to be a far more cost-effective method of relieving the symptoms of influenza...
Source: NHS News Feed - April 10, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Medication Swine flu Source Type: news
Review calls for Tamiflu rethink
Ministers should review the use of a widely used anti-flu medication, scientists have said after new research questioned the efficacy of the drug. (Source: HSJ)
Source: HSJ - April 10, 2014 Category: UK Health Source Type: news
Billions wasted on unproven flu drug, report claims
Researchers raise doubts over effectiveness of stockpiled medicine Tamiflu (Source: The Irish Times - Health)
Source: The Irish Times - Health - April 10, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Governments wasting billions on flu drug, report claims
Researchers raise doubts over effectiveness of stockpiled medicine Tamiflu (Source: The Irish Times - Health)
Source: The Irish Times - Health - April 10, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
What the Tamiflu saga tells us about drug trials and big pharma
We now know the government's Tamiflu stockpile wouldn't have done us much good in the event of a flu epidemic. But the secrecy surrounding clinical trials means there's a lot we don't know about other medicines we takeToday we found out that Tamiflu doesn't work so well after all. Roche, the drug company behind it, withheld vital information on its clinical trials for half a decade, but the Cochrane Collaboration, a global not-for-profit organisation of 14,000 academics, finally obtained all the information. Putting the evidence together, it has found that Tamiflu has little or no impact on complications of flu infection, ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - April 10, 2014 Category: Science Authors: Ben Goldacre Tags: Pharmaceuticals industry Science Medical research Flu Health Controversies Business Source Type: news
Tamiflu, Relenza Data Show Little Clinical Benefit Against Flu (FREE)
By Joe Elia
The neuraminidase inhibitors oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) have only marginal benefits in the treatment and prevention of influenza, a series of BMJ articles concludes.Investigators reviewed documents submitted to regulatory agencies concerning both drugs.Tamiflu data showed … (Source: Physician's First Watch current issue)
Source: Physician's First Watch current issue - April 10, 2014 Category: Primary Care Source Type: news
