I wonder how much of this debacle comes back to Biota's...

I wonder how much of this debacle comes back to Biota's traditional lack of PR, when we have major industry organisations warning that Zanamivir is still very important and effective (and by deduction, LANI even moreso).

Biota should have been out there literally spruiking at every opportunity - medical and departmental conferences etc. wherever medicos and bureaucrats assembled.

And this from a poster session at a conference in Canada last week (Biota should be sponsoring and referencing these wherever possible):

http://www.firstwordpharma.com/node/1209124?tsid=28®ion_id=5#axzz31eDuVge9

"Zanamivir, Laninamivir Best Options for Children Expected to Become Seriously Ill From Influenza Type B: Presented at PAS/ASPN May 8th, 2014

By Roxanne Nelson

VANCOUVER -- May 8, 2014 -- Zanamivir or laninamivir should be the first-line treatment options for children who are expected to become seriously ill from infection with influenza type B, or in those who require prophylactic medication, and are old enough to use inhalable drugs, according to a study presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies/American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (PAS/ASPN).

Mitsuyoshi Suzuki, MD, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, noted that “the susceptibility of influenza B to oseltamivir was relatively low, and the time to fever abatement in the oseltamivir group corresponded to the usual clinical course.”

In addition, paediatric patients with influenza B who are treated with oseltamivir have prolonged fever compared with patients with influenza A.

In the retrospective study, the drug susceptibility and clinical effectiveness of these agents were evaluated in children with influenza B during the 2012/13 season.

The cohort included 62 children aged 5 to 11 years (30 boys, 32 girls) who were diagnosed with influenza B. Patients were divided into the 4 arms: no treatment (n = 10), oseltamivir (n = 14); zanamivir (n = 14), and laninamivir (n = 24).

For each patient, nasal aspirate was collected and stored frozen at -80ºC. The virus was isolated and identified, and then the susceptibility of the virus to neuraminidase inhibitors was examined.

The mean age of patient who received oseltamivir and laninamivir was significantly lower than in children who received zanamivir (P < .05). There were no significant differences observed between the groups for the highest temperature prior to treatment or in the period from fever onset (=37.5ºC) to drug administration.

The period from the onset of fever to returning to normal temperature (<37ºC) was 123.4 ± 16.9 hours in the group that received no treatment, 103.0 ± 21.0 hours in the oseltamivir group, 60.6 ± 25.8 hours in the zanamivir group, and 68.8 ± 27.1 hours in the laninamivir group.

The duration of fever was significantly shorter in patients who received zanamivir and laninamivir, than oseltamivir (P < .01).

In terms of drug susceptibility, the IC50 of oseltamivir was 1 order higher than that of both zanamivir and laninamivir.

[Presentation title: Drug Susceptibility and Clinical Effectiveness of Neuramininase of Inhibitors in Children With Type B Influenza Virus. Abstract 1522.330]"

Here is the poster session ref:
http://www.abstracts2view.com/pas/view.php?nu=PAS14L1_1522.330

And here is a link to the conference:

https://event.crowdcompass.com/pas-2014

CODE = PAS14

The Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Annual Meeting is the largest international meeting focused on research in child health. We bring together a variety of groups to—not only discuss original research, which has been the hallmark of the PAS meeting, but to also discuss how this research can be applied to actual clinical practice in pediatrics. This alliance also provides opportunity to discuss other critical issues that affect child health such as public policy and advocacy.

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Plumb/Patti - what were you doing when Barda indicated concerns?

Calling advocates (for their important references and support) from all those conferences you attended promoting the Biota influenza pedigree and pipeline, or referencing all those industry articles you cultivated from your important comms with Journals and Biotech Industry media backing up the science and the Inavir experience?

Or were you following the Cook/Fox mushroom approach of Public Relations?

Unfortunately for all of us the 'Chickens have come home to roost'