26/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has announced in a press release that, during its 19-22 February 2007 meeting in London, it examined the adverse effects of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu, which is produced by the Roche laboratories, following new reports from Japan. These cases were detected through routine safety monitoring. The EMEA has called for the information to healthcare professionals and patients to be updated. The recommended wording for patients is that: “Convulsion, depressed level of consciousness, abnormal behaviour, hallucinations and delirium have been reported during Tamiflu administration, leading in rare cases to accidental injury. Patients, especially children and adolescents, should be closely monitored and their healthcare professional should be contacted immediately if the patient shows any signs of unusual behaviour”. With this measure in place, the EMEA maintains its opinion that the benefits of Tamiflu outweigh its risks. The agency, which has been monitoring the drug since it was authorised for use in the EU in 2003, will continue to monitor all emerging safety information on adverse effects. (oj)