High-Dose Versus Standard-Dose Oseltamivir to Treat Severe Influenza and Avian Influenza

Summary

Influenza, also known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. The illness can range in severity, from mild to severe to even death, and it causes an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 deaths worldwide each year. In the last several years, there have been increasing numbers of human cases of avian influenza, or bird flu. This trend may pose a threat of a future pandemic--worldwide outbreak of disease--with an avian influenza virus that can easily spread from person to person. Oseltamivir is an antiviral medication that is used to treat people with uncomplicated human influenza, and it may be effective in treating people with either severe human influenza or avian influenza. The purpose of this international study is to compare standard-dose oseltamivir versus high-dose oseltamivir for treating people who are hospitalized with severe human influenza or avian influenza.

Timeline

Start

2006-02

Primary completion

2010-01

Completion

2010-01

Publications

• Background Morse SS. Factors in the emergence of infectious diseases. Emerg Infect Dis. 1995 Jan-Mar;1(1):7-15. doi: 10.3201/eid0101.950102.
• Background Colman PM. Influenza virus neuraminidase: structure, antibodies, and inhibitors. Protein Sci. 1994 Oct;3(10):1687-96. doi: 10.1002/pro.5560031007.
• Background de Jong MD, Bach VC, Phan TQ, Vo MH, Tran TT, Nguyen BH, Beld M, Le TP, Truong HK, Nguyen VV, Tran TH, Do QH, Farrar J. Fatal avian influenza A (H5N1) in a child presenting with diarrhea followed by coma. N Engl J Med. 2005 Feb 17;352(7):686-91. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa044307.
• Results South East Asia Infectious Disease Clinical Research Network. Effect of double dose oseltamivir on clinical and virological outcomes in children and adults admitted to hospital with severe influenza: double blind randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2013 May 30;346:f3039. doi: 10.1136/bmj.f3039.

Drugs

Indications