Patients infected with the H5N1 virus will have their Tamiflu dosage doubled (from 75mg to 150mg per dose).
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Tamiflu 75mg |
On July 24, Dr. Nguyen Tran Hien, Director of the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, announced that in early August, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia will begin research and trials to evaluate the effectiveness of the avian influenza treatment drug – Tamiflu.
Accordingly, the testing will be conducted by increasing the dosage of Tamiflu to double (from 75mg to 150mg per dose) for patients infected with the H5N1 virus.
Dr. Hien stated that the purpose of this increased dosage is to determine whether it causes drug resistance, any side effects, and how well the patients’ immunity responds compared to the standard dosage currently prescribed at healthcare facilities…
This research will be conducted over several years to find the best treatment method for patients infected with the H5N1 virus.
In Vietnam, the trials are expected to take place at the Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Diseases Hospital and the Hanoi Institute of Clinical Medicine for Tropical Diseases.
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Currently in Vietnam, the Ministry of Health’s treatment protocol for influenza A allows medical facilities to administer Tamiflu to patients, showing significant effectiveness. According to this protocol, children aged 1-13 years should take the oral solution based on their body weight: – Under 15kg: 30mg x 2 times/day x 5 days; |
At the end of 2005, during the avian influenza outbreak in Vietnam, there were reports of H5N1 virus strains showing resistance to Tamiflu.
However, Vietnamese experts clarified that this was not the first instance of patients infected with the H5N1 virus exhibiting resistance to Tamiflu treatment. While resistance can occur, it is considered to be an exceptional case.
Subsequently, at a meeting in early 2006 in Hanoi, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia were selected to test modifications to the Tamiflu treatment protocol for patients with H5N1 influenza and other severe influenza illnesses.
This is part of the modified influenza treatment trial program initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO). The decision to double the Tamiflu dosage was based on animal trial results indicating effective control of the influenza virus, while in some H5N1 patients treated with Tamiflu according to the standard protocol, viral load did not decrease.
Since the first case of H5N1 influenza in Vietnam (December 26, 2003), there have been 93 reported cases across 32 provinces/cities, with 42 fatalities.
Le Ha
