Resistance to Tamiflu Prompts Change In Pandemic Stockpile
Medical researchers are trying to discover if using oseltamivir and an older influenza medication can reduce the chance of flu viruses developing a resistance. In Canada, they are attempting to modify the combination of antiviral medications, which are stored as an emergency stockpile in reaction to potential problems with Tamiflu, the top gun antiviral in reserve, developing a resistance and weakening its potency.
Deliveries of the medication Zanamivir – also known as Relenza – are being topped up in the nations stockpile senior health officials have stated, as a matter of course because of a possible pandemic.
There are also additional stores of the older influenza medication called amantadine being added to th burgeoning supply as a cost effective extra measure. Research is ongoing into utilizing a combination of tamiflu and amantadine or a counterpart med, rimantadine, to see if they can somehow reduce the chances of resistance with various flu strains on the small number of medications now available as a treatment for the flu strains.
Medical experts seem to agree that based on scientific perception, diversification of warehoused supplies makes good sense. The decision was made at the highest levels of government to do so. Health officials have said that there is ongoing debate amongst provincial and territorial governments about the value of also diversifying the medicinal assets within the national antiviral stockpile, which is the place most of the supplies of Canada’s influenza pandemic ready medications are kept. Any expense to increase this stock and to continue sustaining it is shared between provincial and federal agencies.
This national antiviral store of medication holds enough drugs to aid almost 5.6 million persons. Tamiflu is the majority stock numbering at ninety percent of the supply while Relenza makes up the ten percent balance.
For the previous five years or so numerous countries have begun to warehouse antiviral medications, mostly oseltamivir as a precautionary against a potential influenza pandemic. Oseltamivir was a pretty safe choice since it appeared to maintain its potency level against diverse strains of flu. Research data also appeared to display that viruses that did develop resistance were reduced in their ability to spread human to human.
Disappointment was palpable when this theory was proven erroneous during the influenza season of 2008. There was a resistant strain of influenza A virus H1N1 type discovered in Northern Europe that spread rampantly around the globe.