Japan warns against bird flu drug for teens

By Isabel Reynolds

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Health Ministry said on Wednesday it had ordered the importer of the bird flu drug Tamiflu to warn doctors against giving it to teenagers after two new cases of abnormal behaviour were reported.

Two teenagers injured themselves in February and March by falling from buildings after taking the drug, produced by Swiss firm Roche Holding AG, according to a ministry news release.

Two other young people were already known to have fallen to their deaths last month, triggering concerns that Tamiflu, seen as effective against a possible pandemic triggered by bird flu, may induce psychiatric symptoms.

Tamiflu is imported to Japan, the world's heaviest user of the drug, by Chugai Pharmaceutical, a Japanese drug maker half owned by Roche.

"As well as changing the warning distributed with the drug, we have directed Chugai Pharmaceutical to raise awareness among medical professionals of the risk of abnormal behaviour after taking Tamiflu," the release said.

The new warning is to include the words: "Except in cases judged to be high risk, avoid prescribing this drug to minors over the age of 10."

The text will also instruct doctors to tell those caring for children taking Tamiflu not to leave the patients alone.

Media reports said the Health Ministry rejected criticism that it had not acted swiftly enough. Most of the more than 100 reported cases of potentially Tamiflu-related psychiatric problems have been in Japan.