 |
Oseltamivir. In October 1999, the antiviral drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu) was approved in the United States for treatment of uncomplicated influenza in adults. People who take oseltamivir usually recover 1.3 days (30 percent) faster than those who do not. The most common adverse effects are mild to moderate transient nausea or vomiting. Other side effects include bronchitis, insomnia, and vertigo. Less than 1 percent of people who take oseltamivir in clinical trials discontinued the drug early because of nausea or vomiting (McClellan K et al 2001; Treanor JJ et al 2000).
In 2000, oseltamivir was approved for prevention of influenza in people who have been exposed to the virus. It is up to 92 percent effective in preventing influenza when taken once daily (Peters PH Jr et al 2001). In one clinical trial involving 548 patients (276 taking oseltamivir, 272 taking placebo), a daily dose of 1.75 milligrams (mg) of oseltamivir was given for up to 42 days to a group of elderly nursing home residents. In the placebo group, oseltamivir reduced the incidence of influenza from 4.4 to 0.4 percent (Peters PH Jr et al 2001). Oseltamivir shortened the duration of influenza by 1.5 days (26 percent) in children age 1 to 12 years when given within 2 days of symptom onset (Whitley RJ et al 2001). |
|