Japan Orders New Tests on Bird Flu Drug (Japan)
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
Japan's Health Ministry has advised Roche and Chugai Pharmaceutical to investigate whether there is a link between the avian flu drug Tamiflu and delusional behavior. The companies, which partner in marketing Tamiflu in Japan, will begin clinical trials with between 12 and 30 human subjects, and also toxicity studies, to investigate this. Chugai officials say research results should be available at the end of 2007, and Roche says no evidence exists establishing a link between Tamiflu and delusion. Since 2001 when Tamiflu began to sell in Japan, over 1,300 people have demonstrated neuropsychiatric symptoms, and 71 people died while taking it. (Click here for more