Relenza 'could protect from flu'

Relenza costs £24 a course

The anti-flu drug Relenza may be able to stop other people getting ill - even if they come into contact with infected people.

A clinical study of the powder inhaler - which is not yet available on the NHS - found that giving the drug to uninfected relatives of flu victims protected them from the disease.

It is already known that taking the drug just after being infected can shorten a flu attack by approximately two days.

However, the new research, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggests other potential flu-fighting applications.

It is not known whether the drug actually prevents infection, or simply keeps the virus sufficiently under control to stop any symptoms being felt.

The study, financed by drug maker Glaxo Wellcome, found that giving the drug to the close relatives of flu sufferers reduced their chance of developing symptoms by 72%.

'No substitute for vaccination'

Dr Frederick Hayden, from the University of Virginia, said: "Although not a substitute for vaccination, if vaccines are not available, or if used in conjunction with vaccination late in the influenza season, preventive treatment is an effective option for preventing the transmission of influenza within households."

The prospect of Relenza being a viable preventative treatment could increase the clamour for the drug to be made available on the NHS.

The government's drug advisers at the National Institute for Clinical Excellence ruled last year that there was not enough evidence that the drug worked in vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with underlying illness.

The decision sparked a political row with Glaxo Wellcome threatening to pull research out of the UK.

However, there have been reports that the government is considering allowing limited NHS prescribing of Relenza.

The drug is available privately, but costs £24 a course.