Tamiflu (Roche) and Relenza (GSK) are two flu treatments that are frequently used during seasonal and pandemic flu outbreaks. Many people used these drugs during the H1N1 pandemic in 2009/2010, although no randomized clinical trials were conducted to evaluate their effectiveness. Scientists are unsure whether these interventions actually work and are hoping that new clinical trials are conducted on these treatments.
In a report on the use of flu antiviral drugs, experts found that these medicines do reduce deaths in hospitalized patients. They also found that these antivirals may reduce seasonal flu symptoms by 14 to 17 hours. However, the drugs may not be appropriate for use in all flu patients since the side effects and risk may outweigh the benefits. Another reason why more trials are needed is that the virus can become resistant to current antivirals.
Scientists Call for Urgent Trials to Judge Flu Drugs for Pandemics
