New research from the University of Michigan, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Alabama shows that Tamiflu, an antiviral medication that fights the flu, shortens the length of the flu in patients by one day and reduces respiratory infections that can develop by 44 percent.
Researchers looked at data from clinical trials of the drug to determine its effectiveness. The study, which involved more than 4,300 patients (more than half of whom were treated with Tamiflu), was published in The Lancet.
"This is the first patient-level analysis of how well this drug works," said Arnold Monto, MD, study co-author and a professor at the University of Michigan. "Previous research has questioned its success and use in light of the side effects of nausea and vomiting, but the other studies combined those infected with influenza and those without, which diluted the positive effect in treatment."
The researchers found Tamiflu, made by Roche, can reduce the duration of the flu by 21 percent — with Tamiflu treatment, symptoms went away in 98 hours, while it took 123 hours with a placebo. The antiviral also decreased hospital admissions by 63 percent and reduced the risk of infections like pneumonia as well.
They did note that Tamiflu increased nausea (3.7 percent) and vomiting (4.7 percent).