Research Triangle Park-based RTI International is to conduct a five-year study of the effectiveness of neuraminidase inhibitors -- Tamiflu and related drugs -- in improving treatment for older people who get the flu.
The project, worth up to $7.2 million, is funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and will be conducted in several hospitals in Durham and Atlanta. In Durham, the first year of the study will include patients at the Durham VA Medical Center. In subsequent years, Duke University Medical Center and Durham Regional Hospital may be included as well.
The study will compare mortality rates and other health outcomes for patients treated with neuraminidase inhibitors and those not receiving them as part of their care.
"Although vaccines are available to protect against influenza illness, the vaccines are not 100 percent effective, and not everyone who should get vaccinated does so," said Frank DeStefano, a senior research epidemiologist at RTI and the project manager. "There is a great need for effective treatments for individuals, particularly older adults, who become infected with the flu."