Someone educate me on Tamiflu vs. other preparations for flu

[Horse with no Name]

Notably amantadine (Symmetrel), rimantadine (Flumadine), zanamivir (Relenza) vs. oseltamivir (Tamiflu).
Is the only difference that Rumsfeld doesn't own stock in those companies as opposed to Tamiflu?
ALL of these drugs do the same thing with the regular flu.
It seems pretty strange that Tamiflu would do the ONE thing that the other three do not.
Is that by design?
Who is up to speed on the vaccines...I haven't been watching this thing as closely as I should have.

[acmejack]

1. This explains it in layman's terms.

I didn't know how scientific you wish to be!

"We don't know right now what the next pandemic strain will be," she said. "It's uncertain if it's going to be H5N1 (bird flu). It's uncertain whether Tamiflu, or other things - how effective they will be against that strain. Part of our strategy will be to stockpile antivirals. To put it bluntly, you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket."

Tamiflu is one of four antiviral drugs designed to treat the flu, which typically kills an average of 36,000 Americans each year. Scientists believe it is the best option to treat the strain of bird flu, known as H5N1, now circulating in Asia. The United States also is increasing its supplies of a second drug, Relenza." - Christina Pearson, spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.



edit: There is a Tamiflu resistant variant already, too! http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/PublicHealth/tb/1850

[helderheid]

2. I heard on NPRs Science Friday that tamiflu may or may not work - not the

answer. Can't remember when I heard it - one of these should be the right program:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4949436

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4958956

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4967122

[Horse with no Name]

5. Heaven forbid we should use Symmetrel

a drug that has been around for years (for Parkinson's) and wouldn't be as hard to obtain as a drug used strictly for flu.

[peacetalksforall]

3. Important side point you should know - Rumsfeld Gilead.

Check it out - the owndership is mixed up with the DOD and a PNAC member.

THere are tons of articles on the net.

Enter Rumsfeld Gilead and maybe mix in Hoffman-Roche.

[Horse with no Name]

4. That's the point I was getting at

Are we just going to stockpile Tamiflu because of Rumsfeld's interests in the company....why not stockpile all four?:shrug:

[peacetalksforall]

9. I am not up on any races for dominance in supply. Their (the PNAC)

history tells us that this will be a scare, price, supply, demand, profit for a few - if it brings in billions, it probably means Rumsfeld is doing it as a fund raiser for the PNAC agenda and a cut for himself.

Look at them. Where have they manifested honor?

These people concoct, plot, and set-up. They can destroy.

Tie your search to the dead bio-scientists. There could be a relationship.

Ask yourself why Bush (supposedly) read a thick book about the plague while on his 'summer' vacation.

Also, try to find out which think tanks participated in the plot-plan.

Why do all the crises peter out around January?

[kikiek]

6. There are recent articles that say that Ramiflu hasn't helped with

the bird flu. It is taken usually after infection within 48 hrs so it is an antiviral. It is very confusing because many articles are calling it a vaccine, and suggesting it be taken before. But it hasn't been used in that manner before. Seems like right now the hype is really helping the drug company and the people who own the stock (Rummy) get richer. There are many many articles out there and people are clamoring to get Tamiflu which is in short supply now.

[mike_c]

10. just to clear that up, Tamiflu is NOT a vaccine...

Those articles are wrong. It can be used as a prophylactic, but that's unlikely when it's in short supply and expensive.

Its effectiveness against a human pandemic H5N1 virus is largely unknown, especially in any given individual where its action is dose dependent. There are no unequivical data suggesting that it's INEFFECTIVE, as for as I'm aware. On the other hand, it is not a magic bullet-- it will not cure influenza. Every person's response will likely lie somewhere between those extremes. Note too that a human pandemic N5N1 strain has not emerged yet, so NO general statements about the effectiveness of antiviral drugs can be made yet. A lot of what you're hearing is speculation, often by people whose credentials are shaky, at best.

[kikiek]

11. Yeah I heard.

[blonndee]

7. Neither have I. I'm thinking about getting a flu shot but my main

tactic is to try to keep my immune system strong. I'm trying to cut back on the ciggies, drinking, and coffee, and trying to stay well-hydrated and get as much sleep as possible. I'm hoping that even if I do get sick, that those things will help speed up the recovery.

Couldn't hurt.

[Avalux]

8. Let me give it a shot. They are all antivirals.

And each are designed to ease the symptoms of flu. In the lab, it has been shown that tamiflu may be more effective in combatting an avian flu outbreak in humans.

None of them actually "kill" the virus, they block receptor sites at the host cell so the virus can't get in to replicate and grow. Each work in a slightly different manner at blocking those receptors. Drugs for HIV infection work in much the same way, that's why there's more than one available.

There are two vaccines in the works, but we don't really know if they'll be effective since the virus that will cause a pandemic isn't here yet - vaccines are made from live virus.

That's about as simple as I can make it. In short, we just don't know which if any of those drugs will be effective, but lab data shows tamiflu may be the frontrunner. As far as the Rummy component, that may be part of the push for tamiflu also, I don't know.

[YouthInAsia]

12. Tamiflu and Relenza are basically the same thing. I dont know if they

have studied smmetrel and flumadine against the H5N1 but I'm guessing they have. Relenza should work just as well as Tamiflu. Get your self a gas mask or a real good surgical repirator.

[bluedawg12]

13. YouthInAsia- off topic-BUT- I love that pup pic!

I have two pits, is that a little pit?

Actually my little girl is a brindle part boxer and pit- we think.
We adopted her from the Humane Soc. so we will never know.

But that look is a lot like my girls endearing face.

Just wondering.

Agree with rest of thread info.

Tamiflu is the anti-viral of choice currently, the fear is that the virus mught become resistant to it if it ever broke out on a large scale with humans.

http://www.noahswish.org/