NIH enrols patients for influenza clinical trials

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have begun enrolling volunteers for clinical trials to find effective treatments for influenza.

One of the studies will assess if treatment with the influenza drug oseltamivir reduces the time that people continue to produce the virus in their upper airway.

On the other hand, the second will evaluate if a combination of flu antiviral drugs work better than oseltamivir in those with influenza and chronic health conditions, including heart or lung disease.

Finally, the third study will test whether treatment with plasma enriched with anti-influenza antibodies improves the condition of hospitalised influenza patients in comparison to standard antiviral treatments.

All of the research projects are sponsored by the NIAID Influenza Research Collaboration, which is a network funded by the NIAID Division of Clinical Research (DCR).

Even though oral oseltamivir has been consented for use in the United States since 1999, no studies have demonstrated whether the drug markedly reduces the amount of virus produced by an infected person.

A total of 560 people will be enrolled into the trial at 31 locations across the US, Argentina and Thailand.

All those involved in the studies are between 18 and 65 and have a confirmed influenza infection but do not suffer any other health conditions to put them in danger of developing complications in their cells.

Anthony S Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious diseases, part of the NIH, said: "This year’s flu season came earlier than usual and has been particularly hard on the elderly.

"Despite our best efforts to prevent influenza through vaccination, people still get sick every year with the flu. At best, influenza infection is a miserable experience. At worst, it can be a deadly one.

"We need better ways to treat people with influenza, which kills thousands of people in the United States each year, and clinical research supported by NIAID helps to address that need."

Posted by Ben Evans