The antiviral Relenza has won a battle over Tamiflu in the competition for government contracts from governments anxious about a possible bird flu epidemic. New research published in Nature demonstrates that Relenza is better than Tamiflu in guarding against H5N1. In the test, patients infected with the H5N1 virus demonstrated resistance to Tamiflu but were helped by Relenza, which is made by GlaxoSmithKline. And analysts saw the results as a sign that governments around the world could start buying large quantities of Relenza as one line of defense against a human pandemic.
"Antiviral medicines are a key component of any flu pandemic response plan and the Nature article further highlights the important role of zanamivir (Relenza) in preparing for a future pandemic," said GSK Pharmaceuticals Europe president Eddie Gray.
- read the article from The Age
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