Relenza Zanamivir

The antiviral drug zanamivir is sold under the brand name Relenza by US pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline. It is used to treat and prevent influenza, a viral infection particularly typical for the cold season. Relenza comes in powdered form and needs to be inhaled, much like asthma medicines.

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How does Relenza work?

Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an extremely contagious infection of the respiratory tract, namely the upper airways. As it is passed on via droplet infection, it spreads incredibly quickly, so it is enough to be near an ill person who sneezes or coughs or to shake their hand for you to catch it. As the flu virus can survive for some time once outside the body, it can even be transmitted via a contaminated surface. It is therefore highly recommended that you do not share any everyday items e.g. towels, cutlery or crockery with somebody who has the flu until they get better. Once the virus has made its way inside the human body, it is able to multiply very quickly, which means that the incubation period of the illness, i.e. the time it takes between infection and outbreak, is very short.

Zanamivir inhibits an enzyme which is necessary so that the virus can replicate. By doing this, the site of infection is limited and the virus cannot spread thus allowing the body’s own defence mechanism, the immune system, to fight the primary site of infection until it has cleared up.

How effective is Relenza?

Relenza can help shorten the recovery time in an acute case of influenza and it can also be used preventatively to avoid an outbreak of the flu. To achieve best results, treatment needs to be started within 48 hours of symptom onset (acute infection) or within 36 hours of being in contact with someone who has influenza (flu prevention). To date, neither pandemic nor seasonal flu strains have shown signs of resistance to Relenza making it a very effective flu remedy.

Relenza Treatment Advice

Zanamivir is administered orally in form of an inhaling device called a diskhaler much similar to an asthma inhaler. Each blister foil disk contains 5mg of Zanamivir in finely powdered form. The bioavailability of zanamivir, i.e. the quantity that will be absorbed by the body is 2%.

Thanks to the diskhaler, the medicine is delivered to the upper airways, allowing it to act directly on the entry site of the virus. Always follow your doctor’s instructions when using Relenza. Zanamivir (as well as Tamiflu) is a good medicine cabinet staple to have just in case, especially in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak such as the swine flu outbreak in 2009.

Does Relenza have any side effects?

The majority of people using Relenza do not experience any problems. Nevertheless, it is important to inform yourself about the potential adverse reactions and side effects prior to using Relenza. Here is a list of the most common side effects of this medicine, the full list can be found in the patient leaflet.

• Bronchospasm (Narrowing of the airways)
• Difficulty in breathing (dyspnoea)
• Feeling of a tight throat
• Rash or hives
• Allergic reaction with facial swelling

Relenza Precautions

Always follow your prescribing doctor’s instructions. Do not swallow the powder, it needs to be inhaled through the diskhaler so as to deliver optimum performance. If you have trouble breathing after using Relenza, interrupt treatment and consult a doctor ASAP. If you suffer from asthma, keep your inhaler at hand to be able to react quickly if you find yourself being short of breath.

Relenza Contraindications

Inform your doctor if you have an allergy against any of the Relenza ingredients or if you suffer from galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency, a glucose-galactose malabsorption or if you intolerant to Lactose. Relenza should not be given to children under the age of five.
If you are pregnant, please consult your doctor prior to using Relenza. This also applies to people suffering from COPD.

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