CDC continues to recommend Tamiflu, Relenza

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it continues to recommend the use of Tamiflu oseltamivir and Relenza zanamivir to treat influenza. The recommendation came in response to an updated neuraminidase inhibitors by the not-for-profit Cochrane Collaboration published in the British Medical Journal. According to the review, Tamiflu and Relenza shorten "symptoms of influenza by half a day" but there is no evidence that the drugs reduce hospital admissions or complications of influenza. The review was based on the full clinical study reports for 20 Tamiflu trials and 26 Relenza trials.

CDC said the studies included in the Cochrane review were statistically underpowered and not designed to assess the effects of the drugs on "more severe influenza illness outcomes, such as hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions, or deaths." CDC also noted that the review did not consider any data from an "abundance of observational studies," which the agency said have "consistently found" that early Tamiflu treatment reduces the duration of hospitalization and risk of severe outcomes. ...