The UK government should rethink its use of Tamiflu in treating influenza in light of recent evidence showing it provides only small benefits and increases the risk of harm, researchers have warned.  

Although the drug was found to shorten symptoms of influenza by half a day, there was little evidence to suggest Tamiflu – oseltamivir – reduced hospital admissions or prevented people from carrying and spreading the virus, according to a review published by the Cochrane Collaboration and the BMJ today (April 10).

Furthermore, the review of 20 trials confirmed that the antiviral drug increased the risk of nausea and vomiting in adults and children by four per cent and five per cent respectively. There was also an increased risk of headaches, psychiatric problems and renal events as a result of taking Tamiflu, the researchers found..

Tamiflu manufacturer Roche said today that it "fundamentally" disagreed with the Cochrane Review	More on flu MPs warn government to hold fire on Tamiflu Wholesalers revive Olympics model to ensure flu vaccine supply NHS widens access to antivirals to combat flu outbreak
	Tamiflu manufacturer Roche said today that it "fundamentally" disagreed with the findings. It insisted that Tamiflu was an "effective medicine" in the treatment and prevention of influenza.

However, researchers stressed that a lack of access to available clinical trial data meant they had been unable previously to verify the safety and effectiveness of Tamiflu.

Despite this, the worldwide use of the drug has increased "dramatically" since the Swine Flu outbreak in 2009, and the UK government has spent £424 million stockpiling 40 million doses of the drug, they said.

The latest review raised questions over whether "global stockpiling" of the drug is still justifiable "given the lack of reliable evidence to support the original claims of its benefits," they added. 

Roche said it was dedicated to sharing clinical drug data to third parties for research and considered the research group to be "inexperienced" in dealing with such information.

There is a "wealth of data" to support the use of Tamiflu, and the report's methodology was "unclear and inappropriate" while having potentially serious public health complications, it said.    

It argued that other trials and data, including a study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine last month, had shown Tamiflu to be effective in reducing the severity and duration of symptoms in flu patients.

In January, MPs called on the government to rethink its decision to stockpile Tamiflu because beliefs over its efficacy remained in doubt.

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