Concerns about the safety of Tamiflu are not affecting stockpiles of an influenza drug which would be used in a potential pandemic. World Health Organisation (WHO) health officials widely see Tamiflu as effective in treating the H5N1 bird flu strain if given early enough. The WHO and some national governments have been stockpiling the drug in case the strain, now mainly affecting poultry, mutates and begins to spread quickly among humans.

WHO spokesman Dick Thompson said more work needed to be done to understand any link between Tamiflu — manufactured by Switzerland’s Roche — and a series of incidents in Japan, including teen suicides, which have fueled concerns the drug could induce psychiatric symptoms. Source

Meanwhile Japan’s government’s warning that Tamiflu should not be given to teenagers sparked a clash of opinions, with some calling it too late and others saying the drug’s benefits outweighed possible risks.

Japan warns against Tamiflu use in teens

Japan’s health ministry today ordered the country’s importer of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) to warn doctors against prescribing the drug to teens, because of continuing concerns that psychiatric symptoms might be linked to the influenza medication, according to news services.

The health ministry said in a press release that two teenagers were injured in February and March when they fell from buildings after taking oseltamivir, Reuters reported today. According to a Kyodo News report, on Feb 27 a 14-year-old boy fell to his death from a condominium building where he lived in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, a day after taking Tamiflu. The story also said a 16-year-old girl from Aichi prefecture died on Feb 16 under similar circumstances.

Japan’s Tamiflu warning for teens sparks row

Japan’s government warning that bird flu drug Tamiflu should not be given to teenagers sparked a clash of opinions on Thursday, with some calling it too late and others saying the drug’s benefits outweighed possible risks.

The Health Ministry said on Wednesday it had told importers of Tamiflu to warn doctors not to prescribe it to those aged 10 to 19, after two new reports of young people injured by jumping from buildings after taking the drug. The ministry had previously warned that children taking Tamiflu should be supervised and has maintained the warning for younger children, who are seen more at risk of dying from flu. In the new warning it recommends that those aged 10-19 should not be given the drug at all.

Media reports said last week the drug’s Japanese distributor, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., had donated 10 million yen ($85,000) to a university department headed by Shumpei Yokota, whose studies deny a causal relationship between Tamiflu and dangerous behavior.

Kyodo news agency reported the university has said the funds would have no impact on research results.

In response Roche said earlier this week that new studies from Japan (see above) and the United States showed there was no established causal link between psychiatric problems and Tamiflu. On the other hand, the firm says influenza can cause psychiatric symptoms such as hallucinations.

Bird flu updates can be found at this link.