Thursday, November 15, 2012

Tamiflu effectiveness questioned as drug company refuses to release data

Tamiflu effectiveness questioned as drug company refuses to release data: "Public health researchers have stepped up their campaign to access clinical trial data about influenza drug Tamiflu, amid concerns about its effectiveness.

Professor Peter Gøtzsche, leader of the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen, has called for drug company Roche, which manufacturers Tamiflu, to be sued over its refusal to share data with independent researchers.

Meanwhile, questions are being raised about whether Tamiflu works in the way its manufacturers claim, or acts like paracetamol instead.

Tamiflu, or oseltamivir, is supposed to reduce complications from flu, such as pneumonia, and reduce the rate of hospitalisation and death during outbreaks of the illness.

The drug was stockpiled in Australia, Europe and the US following the swine flu outbreak of 2009. The British Medical Journal claims it has made billions of pounds for Roche."

'via Blog this'