SHOULD countries continue to stockpile the flu drug Tamiflu in case there is a pandemic? Until now many governments have been happy to do so. But as stockpiles reach their "replace by" dates, cash-strapped politicians may be having second thoughts.
Their uncertainty may be being fuelled by a campaign against Tamiflu (oseltamivir), motivated by the entirely reasonable beef that manufacturer Roche has not released all of its clinical trial data.
Roche says it is now prepared to open up, which is progress. But a vociferous group of critics seems to have decided that the evidence to be released is unlikely to justify stockpiling the drug.
That is premature at best. The unreleased results concern ordinary winter flu, which Tamiflu may not be too much use against. But the stockpiles are there to combat a fiercer pandemic virus. There is now evidence that the drug saved lives during the 2009 swine flu pandemic (see "Evidence that Tamiflu reduces deaths in pandemic flu").
It is reasonable to demand that the data be released, and Roche should get a move on. By the same token, critics should not reach conclusions based on irrelevant evidence. And governments should continue to stockpile.
This article appeared in print under the headline "Keep taking the pills"
- New Scientist
- Not just a website!
- Subscribe to New Scientist and get:
- New Scientist magazine delivered every week
- Unlimited online access to articles from over 500 back issues
- Subscribe Now and Save
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.
Have your say
Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.
Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article
All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.
If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.
