TAMIFLU for Prevention of Influenza

TAMIFLU for Prevention of Influenza

Protect Family Members Take Action Immediately

TAMIFLU is indicated for the treatment of uncomplicated acute illness due to influenza infection in patients 1 year and older who have been symptomatic for no more than 2 days. TAMIFLU is indicated for prophylaxis of influenza in patients 1 year and older. TAMIFLU is not a substitute for early and annual influenza vaccination. 1

  • Vaccination is the first line of defense against influenza. According to the CDC, antiviral medications can be effective for the prevention of influenza. 3

Protect Adults from Influenza Infection

TAMIFLU Helps Prevent Flu Transmission in Adults 1

Number of household contacts aged ≥12 years=405

  • The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of contacts of an influenza-positive index case with laboratory-confirmed clinical influenza 11

A cluster-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted at 76 centers in North America and Europe during the winter of 1998-1999 that involved 377 index cases: 43% with laboratory-confirmed influenza infection. 11

Protect Children from Influenza Infection

TAMIFLU Provides Protective Efficacy Against Flu in Children 1 to 12 Years Old 1

  • Primary efficacy variable was the percentage of households with at least 1 secondary case of laboratory-confirmed influenza illness during the 10-day period after the start of treatment in the index case(s) 8

A prospective, open-label, randomized, parallel-group trial conducted in Europe and North America during the 2000-2001 influenza season with a total of 812 participants aged ≥1 year. Household contacts of index cases received postexposure prophylaxis with oseltamivir for 10 days or treatment at the time of developing illness (expectant treatment) during the postexposure period. All index cases received oseltamivir treatment for 5 days. 8

TAMIFLU is indicated for prophylaxis of influenza patients 1 year and older. TAMIFLU is not a substitute for early and annual vaccination.

Track the flu. Help protect your patients by knowing when influenza is in your area.

Learn about TAMIFLU side effects and safety.

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Important Safety Information

Indications

TAMIFLU is indicated for the treatment of uncomplicated influenza caused by viruses types A and B in patients 1 year and older who have been symptomatic for no more than 2 days.

TAMIFLU is also indicated for the prophylaxis of influenza in patients 1 year and older.

TAMIFLU is not a substitute for early and annual vaccination as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Prescribers should consider available information on influenza drug susceptibility patterns and treatment effects when deciding whether to use TAMIFLU.

Safety Information

There is no evidence for efficacy against any illness caused by agents other than influenza types A and B.

Treatment efficacy in subjects with chronic cardiac and/or respiratory disease has not been established. No difference in the incidence of complications was observed between the treatment and placebo groups in this population.

No information is available regarding treatment of influenza in patients at imminent risk of requiring hospitalization.

Efficacy of TAMIFLU has not been established in immunocompromised patients.

Safety and efficacy of repeated treatment or prophylaxis courses have not been studied.

Influenza can be associated with a variety of neurologic and behavioral symptoms, which can include events such as hallucinations, delirium and abnormal behavior, in some cases resulting in fatal outcomes. These events may occur in the setting of encephalitis or encephalopathy but can occur without obvious severe disease. There have been postmarketing reports (mostly from Japan) of delirium and abnormal behavior leading to injury, and in some cases resulting in fatal outcomes, in patients with influenza who were receiving TAMIFLU. Because these events were reported voluntarily during clinical practice, estimates of frequency cannot be made but they appear to be uncommon based on TAMIFLU usage data. These events were reported primarily among pediatric patients and often had an abrupt onset and rapid resolution. The contribution of TAMIFLU to these events has not been established. Patients with influenza should be closely monitored for signs of abnormal behavior. If neuropsychiatric symptoms occur, the risks and benefits of continuing treatment should be evaluated for each patient.

In postmarketing experience, rare cases of anaphylaxis and serious skin reactions, including toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and erythema multiforme, have been reported with TAMIFLU.

The most common adverse events reported >1% of patients treated with TAMIFLU and more commonly than in patients treated with placebo are:

  • Treatment of adult and pediatric patients - nausea, vomiting.
  • Prophylaxis of adult and pediatric patients - nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain.

Vaccination is considered the first line of defense against influenza.

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