Health & Fitness - Intravenous flu drug given emergency OK

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Intravenous flu drug given emergency OK

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The intravenous flu drug peramivir has received emergency approval for some hospitalized adults and children with H1N1, U.S. federal regulators said.

Peramivir, developed by BioCryst Pharmaceuticals of Birmingham, Ala., is the only flu drug made to be used intravenously.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a release it granted emergency approval Friday at the request of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

The drug is to be use in hospitalized adults and children who can't take or aren't responding to other flu medications, such as Tamiflu or Relenza, which are made to be swallowed or inhaled, the FDA said.

"The FDA has reviewed the available scientific data and has concluded that the criteria for authorizing the emergency use of IV peramivir have been met," the agency said.

In 2007, BioCryst received $102.6 million under a four-year contract to pursue development of the flu drug, which has yet to clear full regulatory approval, the FDA said.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

This news arrived on: 10/24/2009

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