Osteoporosis Drugs May Help Fight Flu

Antiviral medications such as Tamiflu and Relenza may help shorten the severity and duration of the H1N1 flu virus, but neither drug is a miracle cure for this influenza bug. Help may eventually come from an unexpected source. Two injectable drugs used to treat osteoporosis, Aredia and Reclast, have been shown to stimulate the body’s production of specialized white blood cells that help fight off flu viruses. Preliminary test tube research suggests that this may represent a new way to boost immune defenses, but there is still significant research to be done both in animals and humans before these drugs will be ready for clinical use against influenza.
[Journal of Infectious Diseases, September 15, 2009]