FDA permits Tamiflu use for swine flu

The Food and Drug Administration authorizes the emergency use of certain antiviral drugs to control the global outbreak of swine flu. In the report released late Monday, the FDA has permitted the use of unapproved or uncleared antiviral products following a declaration of an emergency state. The FDA therefore allowed public health and medical personnel to prescribe Relenza (zanamivir) and Tamiflu (oseltamivir), which have not been approved for swine flu, to control the widespread outbreak. Tamiflu, originally approved for adults and children aged 1 and older, can now be used in children under 1. Physicians can also change the recommended dosage for children older than 1 under the emergency use authorization. The rRT-PCR Swine Flu Panel diagnostic test is also authorized for testing samples from individuals with certain flu infections particularly those whose virus subtypes cannot be identified with available tests. According to the latest report released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 64 confirmed cases of swine flu have been found in five US states.