Bird Flu May be Tamiflu-Resistant
Tamiflu (oseltamivir), a popular antiviral drug made by Roche Holdings, is being stockpiled by governments around the world to fight a possible bird flu pandemic. However, a recent case of the disease seems to indicate that in some cases, Tamiflu may not be effective against the disease, according to an article in the October 20 issue of Nature.
The report stems from the case of a 14-year old girl in Vietnam who was caring for her infected brother. She was given Tamiflu as a preventive measure but came down with avian flu anyway. Tests showed that the virus was similar to the one her brother carried. Researches are not sure whether the initial low doeses of Tamiflu that she was given resulted in the development of resistance.
This is the only known case of Tamiflu-resistant avian flu virus. In lab tests, the girl's virus was susceptible to GlaxoSmithKline's drug, Relenza.
See also: Tamiflu: Guarding Against H5-N1 Bird Flu
