Is Tamiflu linked to Japanese teen suicides?

Tamiflu (oseltamivir) is probably the most widely used drug to treat influenza, but several months ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to watch for signs of bizarre behavior in children taking the flu drug.

Today, Japan took that warning one step further and ordered doctors not to give Tamiflu to teenagers, after a total of 15 teens taking the drug either killed or injured themselves since 2004. In the past two months alone, two 12-year old boys taking Tamiflu jumped out of their houses in separate incidents. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has also reported that it received more than 100 cases of delirium, hallucinations and other unusual psychiatric behavior, mostly in Japanese children treated with Tamiflu, in the last two years.

However, Swiss drug-maker Roche still denies any causal relationship between their flu drug and psychiatric symptoms, even though ads that I saw on TV for the drug carry warnings that such abnormal behavior could occur.

As a parent, I would heed this warning seriously and NOT give Tamiflu to my children, and maybe even think twice about taking it myself. But as a scientist, I do want to see solid proof that there is a link, and the first questions I asked myself -

1. Why only in Japan? Isn’t Tamiflu already in use in most other Asian countries with bird flu outbreaks? I haven’t heard reports yet on cases outside of Japan, or in the United States.

2. Both Roche and the FDA also know that abnormal behavior may be displayed by patients with severe flu symptoms, but is there data to suggest that those taking Tamiflu have higher risk?

3. And if there is no causal relationship, as Roche suggests, what other possible interacton might Tamilfu have with neuropyschiatric behavior that’s triggered by influenza?

This drug is still the most effective treatment we have around at the moment, so it’s important for the the U.S. health department to come up with some good answers as quickly as possible.

[News Source: China Post]

Tags: Tamiflu, suicide, flu drug, Roche, FDA, Japan