Tamiflu

ALSO NOTED: Hospitals begin auctioning unpaid debts online; US stockpiling antivirals against bird flu pandemic; and much more.

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Hoping to get another shot at collecting their money, hospitals are auctioning off patient debt via online auctions. FierceHealthFinance

> The U.S. has begun stockpiling Tamiflu and Relenza antivirals to protect against a potential bird flu pandemic. FiercePharma

> It looks like the prevalence of HIV in pregnant women is declining in South Africa. Article

> New research suggests that diabetes boosts liver cancer risks in hepatitis and cirrhosis cases. Article

And Finally... The sound of her baby granddaughter's terrified scream woke this woman from a coma. Article

Tamiflu ads spark criticism

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:01:37 -0500

If Roche has its way, a gaggle of happy penguins will charm consumers into stocking up on flu drug Tamiflu. Using penguin characters from a current children's feature as a theme, Roche Pharmaceuticals has developed a multi-million dollar ad campaign to create demand for the costly medication. Tamiflu, which has attracted international attention as a possible stopgap in the war against bird flu, is designed to slow flu progression and minimize symptoms. The ads, which come just before the start of flu season, don't mention Tamiflu specifically. Critics say the promotion is irresponsible. Dr. Jerry Avorn, a Harvard Medical School professor, argues that the drug's benefits are minimal. Worse, he suggests that if consumers use Tamiflu heavily, Americans will develop a resistance to the drug and won't benefit from it if and when bird flu does become a pandemic. The drug is already proving to be a bonanza for Roche. The pharmaco reported that Tamiflu sales rose to $1.3 billion during the third quarter of this year, an increase of 88 percent over the Q3 '05.

For more background on the Tamiflu promotion:
- read this article in The Boston Globe

Related Article:
Web questionnaire could cut ED visits during flu season. Article
New infectious disease challenges emerge. Article

ALSO NOTED: Florida introduces online emergency system; Tenet wins approval for SC hospital; and much more...

Wed, 31 May 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> The Financial Times reports that the heads of GM, Ford and Chrysler have been unsuccessfully attempting to arrange a meeting with President Bush since before the last election. Article

> FierceHealthcare editor Matthew Holt was at the fabled PARC Research Center last week to deliver a talk on "Healthcare, IT and why your doc may be stuck in the 90s...the 1890s." Article

> Florida introduced an Internet-based communications system designed to let hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities stay in touch with state officials in the event of a storm or other natural disaster. Article

> Hospitals in Toronto, which endured the 2003 SARS crisis, have announced plans to stockpile Tamiflu for employees. Article

> Florida healthcare chief Alan Levine has applied for a job managing the North Broward Hospital District, the area where Gov. Jeb Bush's Medicaid experiment is taking place. Article

> Tenet Healthcare has won approval for a new $125 million 100-bed facility in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Article

> BlueGate has signed a healthcare IT contract with Diabetes Centers of America. Release

> North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System will implement the Eclipsys Sunrise Clinical Manager. Release

And Finally... In India striking government doctors have agreed to go back to work after nearly three weeks off the job. Article

WHO downplays pandemic fears

Tue, 23 May 2006 20:01:35 -0400

The World Health Organization said that a cluster of bird flu deaths in the village of Kabu Sebalang on the Indonesian island of Sumatra is a potentially seminal event. The Associated Press quotes WHO spokesman Peter Cordingsly, who alarmingly calls the six deaths "the mother of all clusters." Cordingsly state, "This is the first time that we've been completely stumped about possible single-source infection."

International health experts suspect that H5N1, the virus that causes bird flu, may have spread by human to human transmission among the members of a single family. Experts have warned for months that a deadly influenza pandemic could result if H5N1 acquires the ability to move between humans. WHO officials in Geneva downplayed the story, noting that the disease does not appear to have been passed by casual contact but rather by close proximity.

- read this article from The New York Times

PLUS: Expect lots of talk about the pandemic threat level over the next few days. For the time being, WHO officials said the agency has decided against convening a global meeting of international experts to discuss raising the threat level. Article (WSJ sub. req.)

ALSO: The U.S. appears to be preparing to take a proactive role in the crisis. Media reports indicate that Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt has ordered a large stockpile of Tamiflu shifted to a "secure location in an unnamed Asian country." Article

SPOTLIGHT: HHS orders antiviral drugs

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 19:01:33 -0500

Bush administration orders antiviral drugs
The Department of Health and Human Services has ordered 14 million doses of antiviral drugs to treat victims in the event of a pandemic flu. The agency said yesterday that it has placed orders for 12.4 million doses of Tamiflu and 1.75 million doses of Relenza. The purchase will add to the existing stockpile of 5.5 million doses. The announcement drew criticism from Democrats in Washington, who say the government isn't acting quickly enough. Article

Study questions effectiveness of flu drugs

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 19:01:35 -0500

A new study raises doubts about the effectiveness of major flu drugs, particularly those being stockpiled to fight an avian flu outbreak. The report, which appears in the British medical journal The Lancet today, argues that the older generation of influenza drugs (rimantadine and amantadine) has largely lost its effectiveness. Lead author Dr. Tom Jefferson warns that newer drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza are likely to become less useful if they are used to fight seasonal influenza. Jefferson and his colleagues at the Cochrane Vaccines Field, an evaluation group, recommend stockpiling both drugs in the event to guard against a possible pandemic.

- see this article from The Guardian

ALSO: The FDA granted Biocryst fast-track approval for its flu drug Peramavir. The much-hyped drug is considered a potential competitor for Tamiflu. Article

ALSO NOTED: Physician-owned tech company could pose conflict of interest; St. Jude gaining from Guidant bidding war; and much m

Thu, 12 Jan 2006 19:00:50 -0500

> The Associated Press reports from Turkey that efforts to control the spread of avian flu in the country appear dangerously inept. Article

> On the other hand, there are encouraging signs as well. The WHO thinks one reason the fatality rate seems to be lower is that patients are being given Tamiflu. Article

> St. Jude is one company that will probably be sorry to see the Guidant bidding war come to a close. The company has benefited from the attention being paid the sector. Its stock is up nearly 50 percent. Article

> A decade ago, the stroke that felled Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon likely would have killed him. The Jerusalem Post examines recent advances in stroke care in a special section. Article

> In San Diego, a new physician-backed technology company that hopes to help seniors import prescription drugs from Canada poses ethical complications. Article

> Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina will give free PDAs to 1,000 physicians in an effort to encourage electronic prescribing. Article

> Canadian authorities rule that makers of statins must warn that the class of drugs can cause serious muscle damage in some patients. Article

And Finally... The Red Cross officially moves toward a new non-confrontational symbol. And yet, mysteriously, not everybody is happy. Article

Study shows H5N1 could be resistant to Tamiflu

Wed, 21 Dec 2005 19:01:36 -0500

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine warns that Tamiflu, the drug many governments and organizations are stockpiling to guard against a possible avian flu pandemic, may not work as well as some have predicted. The study, which was led by Oxford's Dr. Menno de Jong, looks at the case of two Vietnamese girls who died of the virus despite receiving the recommended dose of the antiviral. The finding also appears to throw into question suggestions that it might be possible to stretch the nation's supply of the drug to cover more of the population by lowering doses.

- see this article from USA Today

ALSO: Read this article from the NEJM, entitled, "The Run on Tamiflu: Should Physicians Prescribe on Demand?"

Japan to publish data on adverse events

Sun, 20 Nov 2005 19:01:37 -0500

Following reports of adverse events possibly related to Tamiflu, the Japanese Health Ministry said it will release information about the safety of prescription drugs. Starting in January, the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency will publish detailed data on all of the reports it receives on adverse events caused by prescription drugs and medical devices on a Web site. The agency already publishes limited data on some events. Assuming the plan goes forward, the reporting initiative would be the among most comprehensive adopted by any government.

- see this article from the Ashai Shimbun

HHS: Influenza vaccine supply insufficient

Sun, 20 Nov 2005 19:01:36 -0500

According to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, the US does not have the production capacity to make enough flu vaccine to guard against a pandemic. Leavitt, together with the CDC's Dr. Julie Gerberding, the NIH's Dr. Anthony Fauci and the WHO's Dr. Michael Ryan, appeared on NBC's Meet the Press to discuss the influenza threat. Leavitt cautioned that it will be at least three years before the US has the ability to protect its entire population.

- see this article from AFX

ALSO: An FDA advisory panel said that it found "no evidence" linking the antiviral Tamiflu to a series of deaths in Japan last year. The agency recommends closely monitoring the drug. Article