South Korea joins Japan in Tamiflu alert |
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Thu, 22 Mar 2007 11:57
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SEOUL (XFN-ASIA) - Officials here said they would issue warnings on the bird flu drug Tamiflu, the second Asian nation to do so after Japan, following reports of abnormal behaviour by young users.The alert notices will advise doctors to monitor patients for any sign of psychological side-effects after a series of incidents in Japan -- including suicides -- raised questions over the drug.Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche Hldgs AG has repeatedly denied any connection between the incidents and its drug, which is often prescribed for seasonal flu.Japan said Thursday that it had no plans to stop stockpiling Tamiflu for a possible avian flu outbreak, while several other Asian nations which stock or prescribe the drug say they do not intend to issue alerts for the moment.Nevertheless, the reports have raised concerns because of the prevalence of bird flu, which has killed at least 169 people across the world since the end of 2003, the vast majority of them in Asia.'We plan to issue a special document to doctors and pharmacists that notifies them of recent reports of suicides and strange behaviour by people who have taken the drug,' said Shin Joon-Soo, an official with South Korea's Food and Drug Administration.'The document will also advise medical experts to report immediately to officials when witnessing similar mental symptoms,' Shin was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.Tamiflu has come under investigation in Japan after dozens of people who took the drug killed themselves.afp
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Japan says no change to Tamiflu stocks after side effect warning 