A recent study indicates that the drug Tamiflu not only reduces milder symptoms of Influenza, but also decreases the risk of deadlier complications like hospitalization or death (1). This study, published in the renowned journal of medicine The Lancet, attempts to end a long debate regarding Tamiflu’s ability to combat influenza. Influenza, commonly called “the flu,” is a viral infection of the nose, throat, and lungs. To resist the virus, doctors typically prescribe Tamiflu, an antiviral drug that purportedly decreases the flu’s duration. However, some healthcare researchers are skeptical of Tamiflu’s effectiveness. Members of the Cochrane Collaboration, a renowned healthcare-reviewing agency, believe that Roche, the company that produces Tamiflu, overstates its drug’s benefits (1).
A recent study indicates that Tamiflu reduces serious complication risks for patients with the flu.
Although Cochrane Reviewers agree that Tamiflu reduces flu symptoms’ duration by about a day, some are not convinced that the drug prevents serious complications like pneumonia or death (1). Since Tamiflu targets the influenza virus, it would be expected that the drug reduce milder symptoms as well as avert serious complications. However, these more serious complications are relatively rare, as healthy adults with the flu are unlikely to be hospitalized or die. Therefore, a study indicating that Tamiflu helps prevent these serious complications requires a large number of patients.
To finally end the debate over Tamiflu’s benefits, four flu experts pooled data of over 4000 patients from nine clinical trials (2). Their study indicates that Tamiflu reduces the risk of hospitalization by 63 percent, a statistically significant amount. Moreover, the study shows that patients off the drug have an 8.7 percent risk of upper respiratory infection, like pneumonia or bronchitis, while patients on the drug only have a 4.9% risk (2).
Nevertheless, this study fails to satisfy Tamiflu’s critics, who stress that the analysis was conducted through MUGAS, a foundation that Roche financially supports (1). Notable Cochrane Reviewer Peter Doshi, an epidemiologist at the University of Maryland, suggests that the study “is not independent science” because Roche funds MUGAS (1). Additionally, Cochrane Reviewers like Doshi question if the study’s reported pneumonia cases were correctly diagnosed. According to Doshi, clinical reports indicate that some patients did not really have pneumonia, although the study claims the contrary.
Despite these critics’ concerns, many physicians believe in Tamiflu’s ability to shorten flu duration and reduce severe complication rate. Unlike the Cochran Reviewers, these physicians praise Roche for its increased transparency. Peter Openshaw, Director of the Centre for Respiratory Infection at Imperial College London, said: “The important thing about this study is that it shows that Roche [was] not hiding skeletons in its cupboards” (1). In general, statistical evidence indicates that patients with the flu benefit from Tamiflu so doctors will continue to prescribe it.
Sources:
1. Couzin-Frankel J (29 Jan 2015). “Tamiflu helps, newest study in long-running debate says”. Retrieved January 30, 2015, from http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2015/01/tamiflu-helps-newest-study-long-running-debate-says
2. Dobson, et al. (2015, January 29). “Oseltamivir treatment for influenza in adults: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials”. Retrieved January 30, 2015, from http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62449-1/abstract