Bird flu drug ’safe’ despite death link
November 18th, 2005
By Michael Harvey
November 19, 2005
AUSTRALIAN doctors said yesterday the flu-fighting drug Tamiflu was safe despite the deaths of 12 children in Japan after they took the medicine.
The US Food and Drug Administration is studying the deaths of the children, but said it was hard to tell whether Tamiflu played a role in any of the cases.
Australian Medical Association president Dr Mukesh Haikerwal urged people not to panic and insisted the drug was a safe treatment for influenza.
“The important thing is that it’s still proven as a safe and effective anti-viral agent,” he said.
Tamiflu capsules and liquid are used to treat influenza in children over 12 months of age.
The drug, made by Swiss drugs company Roche, is also being stockpiled by governments around the world, including Australia, in case of a bird flu pandemic.
The FDA said the deaths of the children included one suicide, four cases of sudden death and four of cardiac arrest. There also were single cases of pneumonia, asphyxiation and acute pancreatitis.
“The level of detail in these reports was highly variable and determining the contribution of Tamiflu to the deaths was difficult,” the FDA said.
A spokeswoman for Health Minister Tony Abbott said yesterday the Government was monitoring the situation.
A Roche spokeswoman said the company stood by the safety of Tamiflu.
“The well-being of patients and the safe and effective use of our medications are Roche’s primary objective,” she said.
“Tamiflu has been shown in clinical studies and in routine clinical use to have a good safety profile and to date Tamiflu has been used by about 33 million people worldwide.”
The Lancet medical journal has urged governments to communicate openly with the public to avoid widespread panic.
“If governments are to avert widespread panic, they must admit to uncertainty, act transparently, issue guidance on disease protection, and make sure information is disseminated as quickly as possible,” the journal reported.
One hundred and thirty people in five Asian countries have been infected with the bird flu virus, which has killed 67.
Source: news.com.au
Entry Filed under: Nutrition News
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