When is IV Peramivir Authorized for H1N1 Swine Flu Symptoms?
The FDA has only approved use of this antiviral drug that is still under investigation for general approval under certain conditions: When the patient isn’t responding to treatment with inhaled or oral medications When other treatment options besides intravenous delivery is expected to not be possible or dependable When a doctor decides IV therapy is “appropriate due to other circumstances” (for adult patients only) Why Has Peramivir Been Given Emergency Use Authorization? The FDA approved the request from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to grant the EUA primarily because there is no approved intravenously administered antiviral medication. After “reviewing the available scientific data”, the FDA decided that the potential benefits outweighed the potential risks to approve it for specific emergency situations dealing with severe H1N1 swine flu cases. Although still unapproved, peramivir is in phase 3 clinical testing; commonly reported side effects of the drug have
