Stockpiling oseltamivir: Roche clarifies data for improved mortality with oseltamivir

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7526.1203-b

BMJ 2005;331:1203 (19 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7526.1203-b

Letter

Stockpiling oseltamivir

Roche clarifies data for improved mortality with oseltamivir

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Experts question the wisdom of stockpiling oseltamivir(Tamiflu).¹ A question was asked about data supporting an improvementin mortality with the drug.

Two datasets were presented at the second European InfluenzaConference in Malta (www.eswi.org) in September. A large retrospectivecohort study of patients with influenza-like illness (n = 176001) taken from a US health database showed that oseltamivir(75 mg twice daily, n = 39 202) significantly reduced the risksof pneumonia by 32% (P < 0.001) and of death by 91% (P <0.05) (Nordstrom et al). In Canadian patients with laboratory-confirmedinfluenza (A or B) requiring hospital admission (< 15- >64 years; n = 359), oseltamivir reduced the risk of death by68% (McGeer et al). Treatment with oseltamivir therefore statisticallyand meaningfully reduces the risk of death in patients of allages and from all walks of life, infected with . . . [Full text of this article]

James R Smith, international medical leader

F Hoffman-La Roche, CH-4070 Basel, Switzerland james.smith.js1@roche.com

Regina Dutkowski, clinical science leader

Hoffmann-La Roche, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA

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