[e-drug] Sudden death and other fatal reactions to Tamiflu

["Rokuro Hama" <gec00724@nifty.com>]

E-DRUG: Sudden death and other fatal reactions to Tamiflu
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Dear E-druggers,

Infection-associated encephalopathy such as Reye’s syndrome is one 
of the major public health problems in many countries. Another type of
neuropsychiatric adverse reactions, including sudden deaths and 
other fatal reactions observed with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) use has 
been one of the major problems especially in Japan. 

I have analyzed and investigated the causality link between Tamiflu 
and serious neuropsychiatric adverse reactions, including sudden deaths 
and accidental deaths due to abnormal behavior, since February 2005 
when I first warned about this possibility. 

My paper "Fatal neuropsychiatric adverse reactions to oseltamivir: 
case series and overview of causal relationships" was published 
in the latest issue of The International Journal of Risk & Safety 
in Medicine (IJRSM20 (2008) 5-36.). 

The full paper is available at Web-Kusuri-no-Check International No11 
(23 June 2008) 
http://npojip.org/english/no11.html

This paper adds the following three major points to earlier reports: 
this is the first original paper presenting a case series of 
fatal or near fatal adverse reactions to Tamiflu. It is also 
the first paper overviewing the full spectrum of adverse 
reactions to Tamiflu, and the first paper discussing the 
causality and underlying mechanisms of the full spectrum 
of reactions to Tamiflu 
(from "3.13. What this paper adds to earlier reports": pp30-31).

Professor Chris J. van Boxtel wrote in his editorial(IJRSM20 (2008)1-3):
"We celebrate this anniversary with a double issue which features the 
first in depth review of the safety aspects of oseltamivir. 
And for making a risk-benefit analysis for this antiviral agent, 
such a review is timely, given the fact that the United States and 
many other countries have been stockpiling oseltamivir in the face 
of the risk that avian flu will spark a pandemic. "

We hope this paper could help not only health professionals and the 
public but also regulatory authorities worldwide to make rational and 
safe decisions when dealing with oseltamivir.

Kusuri-no-Check

Rokuro Hama M.D. 


HAMA, Rokuro MD     Chair person "Kusuri-no-Check" 
NPOJIP: Non-Profit Organization "Japan Institute of Pharmacovigilance"
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