Roche reports Tamiflu resistance rates ‘remain low’

Roche has announced that there has been no increased resistance to its Tamiflu treatment for patients infected with the H5N1 virus, commonly known as avian flu.

The company notes that while there is a theoretical risk of a virus evolving reduced sensitivity to an antiviral compound, the company amassed by the data concerning patients treated with Tamiflu shows that the rate of resistance is “rare”.

It reported that the rate of resistance in adults is 0.32 per cent, while the rate of resistance in children is 4.1 per cent. It is thought that the higher rate of resistance in children is caused by higher levels of the virus combined with a longer duration of viral shedding.

David Reddy, influenza pandemic taskforce leader at Roche, said: “Over the last few months, there has been erroneous speculation that resistance to Tamiflu is increasing. This is an area that Roche and independent groups have been closely monitoring and there is no scientific evidence to suggest this is happening.”

He added that worldwide government can remain confident of the efficacy of Tamiflu for stockpiling purposes in the event of an influenza pandemic, as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

In April, Roche reported that a rapid response stockpile of three million treatment courses was available to the World Health Organisation to be shipped to the location of an influenza pandemic, were one to occur.