Chugai’s Tamiflu anti-flu drug linked to deaths of two students

The use of Tamiflu has been linked to bizarre behaviour that led to the deaths of two teenage boys in Japan.

Chugai, which markets the drug in the country, told the Japanese government that the two boys had displayed odd behaviour after taking the drug. One 17-year-old jumped into a passing truck during February 2004, whilst another fell from a nine-storey high building in February of this year.

The teenagers had not suffered from psychological problems in the past. The announcement prompted Japan’s health ministry to instruct Chugai to alert doctors to the possible side effects.

Shinichi Watanabe of the health ministry said: “The link between the abnormal behaviour and the drug could not be ruled out, but at the same time the drug could not be singled out as the sole cause of the behaviour,” according to Reuters.

Chugai now warns doctors that patients taking Tamiflu may suffer from abnormal behaviour, impaired consciousness and hallucinations. It has asked that doctors keep a look out for such symptoms amongst their patients.

Despite the problems, Tamiflu remains firmly part of Japan’s pandemic flu strategy. The country has ordered 250 million doses of the drug, to be delivered by 2010.

© Adfero Ltd