The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have authorized emergency uses of the flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza on Monday and a diagnostic test to help get a handle on a new strain of swine flu, said the agency on Monday.
The agency mentioned in a statement that, the U.S government already declared on Sunday the swine flu is a public health emergency freed the FDA to take such action.
The FDA will now have the authority to permit public health and medical personnel to prescribe Relenza, GlaxoSmithKline’s inhaled flu drug also known as zanamivir, and Roche AG’s Tamiflu, a pill which is also known as oseltamivir, for unapproved uses.
Tamiflu have been approved for treating and preventing the in people over a year old, and now it can be used in children under 1 year. Children older than 1 year under emergency use, doctors can also change the recommended dosage. Furthermore, the FDA gave more healthcare workers authority to distribute Tamiflu and Relenza, which also includes some public health officials and volunteers.
At this moment over then 40 people have been reported sick by the new flu strain in the United States.
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