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Japan Investigates Possible Link Between Flu Drugs and Behaviour |
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Vaccination Information -
Influenza
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by Associated Press
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15 May 2007 |
Japan's Health Ministry is investigating two anti-influenza drugs for
possible links to abnormal and sometimes dangerous behaviour similar to
that reported by some patients taking Tamiflu, officials said Tuesday.
Japan's Health Ministry is investigating two anti-influenza drugs for
possible links to abnormal and sometimes dangerous behaviour similar to
that reported by some patients taking Tamiflu, officials said Tuesday.
The drugs under review, GlaxoSmithKline PLC's Relenza and Novartis AG's
Amantadine, have been linked to a total of 16 reports of abnormal
behavior, including 13 in patients less than 20 years of age, Health
Ministry official Kenji Kuramochi said. Officials at the drug makers
said no causal relationship had been proven.
Mr. Kuramochi said Japanese officials are investigating the two drugs
and possible side effects. He said he had not heard of patients outside
of Japan exhibiting similar symptoms. The reported behaviour included
an attempt to run out of a room, Mr. Kuramochi said without elaborating
on other cases.
Relenza, which was launched in Japan in 2000, was taken in 10 of the
cases, he said. Of the six patients who took Amantadine, two later
died, said Mr. Kuramochi, adding that one of the dead patients also
took Tamiflu.
GlaxoSmithKline spokesman Yoshiaki Komatsu said no patients have
suffered serious injuries or death as a result of taking Relenza. "The
link between the drug and behaviour is not clear," he said.
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