New Flu Medications Hit Market

Jan. 25, 2001 -- The flu fight is on, but sufferers have a couple of new ways to do battle this year, including a new drug that was recently approved for treating the flu in children.

Flu season runs from October through April, and it's a deadly time of year for some Americans. In the average season 20,000 people die from the flu and 110,000 Americans become sick enough to be hospitalized.

If you have not yet received a flu shot, it's not too late. Influenza — the medical name for the flu — got off to a sluggish start this year, and that means January is still a good time to get the flu vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Shorten the SicknessFor those who do encounter the flu this season, there are two new products on the market to treat, and in some cases prevent, the flu: zanamivir (sold as Relenza) and oseltamivir (sold as Tamiflu). Both were approved by the Federal Drug Administration in 1999.

ABCNEWS' Dr. Tim Johnson told Good Morning America that the drugs work if taken at the right time."First of all, you have to be sure you've got the flu and not a head cold, and second of all, you have to take it in the first day or two of the symptoms," said Dr. Johnson. "Then all it really does is shorten the course of the flu by one to two days."

Technically known as neuraminidase inhibitors, Relenza and Tamiflu are antiviral drugs that stop the replication of the flu virus, and fend off flu A and flu B, Johnson said. Generally, they are administered as early as the patients feel symptoms, and doctors say the earlier the better.

Relenza is taken with an inhaler twice a day for five days, and Tamiflu is taken once a day for five days. Tamiflu was initially released in pill form, but in recent weeks the FDA approved it in a liquid form for children one year and older, and for elderly people who might have trouble swallowing.

The drugs are not a treatment, but evidence suggests they'll limit the duration of the symptoms by a few days, Johnson said. They cost about $60 each, but are usually reimbursable by insurance.

There are side effects, however. People with asthma or pulmonary disease shouldn't inhale Relenza. Tamiflu's side effects are nausea and vomiting, but those effects will be diminished if the drug is taken with food.

The Center for Disease Control says the drugs are helpful, but shouldn't be used preventatively in place of a flu shot except in certain cases, such as for high-risk people who cannot receive vaccines due to allergies, for instance.

Finding Flu SymptomsThere are tests to determine if you have the flu, but they are not widely used, because of accuracy and cost, Johnson said.

There are three types of viruses — called flu A, B and C — which cause the flu. A and B are responsible for the epidemics of respiratory illness that occur. C is different in that it does not cause epidemics and is much milder in nature.

The most typical giveaway that you have the flu is the quick onset of the symptoms. The symptoms include: fever, 100 to 103 in adults, and often higher in children; cough; sore throat; runny, stuffy nose; headache, muscle aches, extreme fatigue. Sometimes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are also present.

Most people who get the flu recover completely in one to two weeks, but some develop serious and potentially life-threatening complications, such as pneumonia.

Experts recommend vaccination for those who are most at risk. That includes the elderly, children, and those that work in hospitals or schools where they are exposed often, and those with compromised immune systems.Typically, the best time to get a flu shot is October or November, but this year the CDC is saying that January is also fine.

This has been an average season for the flu, but many people have suffered through a terrible cold virus this year, with symptoms such as head colds and sore throats.

There are two over-the-counter medicines for them that could help: zinc and Echinacea, both of which are cheap and without side effects.