One of the most-used influenza medicines doesn’t work well in preventing severe complications that lead to hospitalization, according to a new study.
Dr. Emily McDonald and other Canadian researchers reviewed data from 15 randomized clinical trials, including eight that were conducted by the drugmaker Roche but not published. They analyzed whether the drug oseltamivir, known as Tamiflu, was associated with lower hospital admissions among outpatients infected with influenza.
While some of the trials were favorable for Tamiflu, others were not. Many showed little to no effect either way. Few people overall were hospitalized in the studies, including participants who did not receive Tamiflu….