Post by unlawflcombatnt on Sept 7, 2009 12:23:39 GMT -6
There's now evidence that Swine Flu is developing resistance to Tamiflu, the main antiviral drug being used to treat and prevent infection. There are only 13 known cases so far. It seems likely, however, that there might be far more cases than actually reported--especially when such news could cause a drug company's stock price to fall.
from Yahoo/AP
Tamiflu-resistant swine flu
By Alexander G. Higgins
Monday September 7, 2009
"Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche Holding AG said Monday that it has had reports of 13 cases of pandemic swine flu becoming resistant to Tamiflu....
A good sign is that the people who had the resistant strain have not passed the disease on to other people, said David Reddy, leader of Roche's Tamiflu pandemic task force. And the resistant variety has been like the widespread version of the virus in that it typically produces only mild symptoms.
The 13 cases were scattered around the world in Europe, the United States and Asia, said Reddy.
Tamiflu, whose generic name is oseltamivir, is one of 2 main antivirals in the arsenal against swine flu as the world awaits the widespread availability of a vaccine against the disease.
[The other drug is Relenza, or zanamavir, made by GlazoSmithKline, which is also effective against influenza A--unlike Tamiflu. Relenza, however, is more difficult to find in drug stores, since it has not been promoted by the Corporate media the way Tamiflu has. (Every time I've tried to prescribe Relenza, it has been unavailable at the pharmacy, In fact, Relenza is not even listed in the "Monthly Prescribing Reference"--which is sent to physicians for free, as a way for Big Pharma to promote its latest and most expensive drugs. Apparently, GlaxoSmithKline wouldn't pay enough to have Relenza listed.)]
Reddy told reporters that the low rate of resistance was in line with tests the company has conducted, which indicated that 0.32% of adults and 4% of children who took the Roche drug developed resistance to it....
[That 4% number is more significant than it might seem. Remember that, unlike typical influenzas A and B, a significantly higher proportion of serious infections and deaths are occurring in younger patients, not the elderly.]
Reddy told The Associated Press that it wasn't certain why the 13 patients developed the resistance while taking the drug, but that there was an indication that many were taking only 1/2 a dose.
That lower dose is what is given to people to prevent them catching the disease, said Reddy. "If they were actually infected with the virus, the dosage of the drug may have been too low."
The company is therefore recommending that doctors prescribe the treatment dose and not the prevention dose if the patient has any symptoms at all...."
It's time for patients to start pushing their doctors to prescribe Relenza, instead of Tamiflu. Relenza is a lot more difficult to use than Tamiflu. But if Tamiflu isn't working, the extra trouble is necessary.
Relenza will continue to be rare in US pharmacies until doctors and patients start demanding it.
And, once again, Relenza IS effective against Influenza A, unlike Tamiflu (Both are effective against Influenza B).
from Yahoo/AP
Tamiflu-resistant swine flu
By Alexander G. Higgins
Monday September 7, 2009
"Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche Holding AG said Monday that it has had reports of 13 cases of pandemic swine flu becoming resistant to Tamiflu....
A good sign is that the people who had the resistant strain have not passed the disease on to other people, said David Reddy, leader of Roche's Tamiflu pandemic task force. And the resistant variety has been like the widespread version of the virus in that it typically produces only mild symptoms.
The 13 cases were scattered around the world in Europe, the United States and Asia, said Reddy.
Tamiflu, whose generic name is oseltamivir, is one of 2 main antivirals in the arsenal against swine flu as the world awaits the widespread availability of a vaccine against the disease.
[The other drug is Relenza, or zanamavir, made by GlazoSmithKline, which is also effective against influenza A--unlike Tamiflu. Relenza, however, is more difficult to find in drug stores, since it has not been promoted by the Corporate media the way Tamiflu has. (Every time I've tried to prescribe Relenza, it has been unavailable at the pharmacy, In fact, Relenza is not even listed in the "Monthly Prescribing Reference"--which is sent to physicians for free, as a way for Big Pharma to promote its latest and most expensive drugs. Apparently, GlaxoSmithKline wouldn't pay enough to have Relenza listed.)]
Reddy told reporters that the low rate of resistance was in line with tests the company has conducted, which indicated that 0.32% of adults and 4% of children who took the Roche drug developed resistance to it....
[That 4% number is more significant than it might seem. Remember that, unlike typical influenzas A and B, a significantly higher proportion of serious infections and deaths are occurring in younger patients, not the elderly.]
Reddy told The Associated Press that it wasn't certain why the 13 patients developed the resistance while taking the drug, but that there was an indication that many were taking only 1/2 a dose.
That lower dose is what is given to people to prevent them catching the disease, said Reddy. "If they were actually infected with the virus, the dosage of the drug may have been too low."
The company is therefore recommending that doctors prescribe the treatment dose and not the prevention dose if the patient has any symptoms at all...."
It's time for patients to start pushing their doctors to prescribe Relenza, instead of Tamiflu. Relenza is a lot more difficult to use than Tamiflu. But if Tamiflu isn't working, the extra trouble is necessary.
Relenza will continue to be rare in US pharmacies until doctors and patients start demanding it.
And, once again, Relenza IS effective against Influenza A, unlike Tamiflu (Both are effective against Influenza B).