Relenza® (zanamivir) Inhalation Powder must not be nebulized

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) would like to notify healthcare professionals of the death of a patient with influenza who received Relenza ® (zanamivir) Inhalation Powder which was solubilized and administered by mechanical ventilation. The death was attributed to obstruction of the ventilator which could have been due to lactose in the formulation causing stickiness when the powder is mixed with the nebulizing solution. GSK would like to highlight to healthcare professionals that Relenza ® Inhalation Powder is not intended for reconstitution in any liquid formulation and is not recommended for use in any nebulizer or mechanical ventilator, and also that Relenza ® or zanamivir for nebulization has not been approved by any regulatory authority and the safety, effectiveness and stability of zanamivir use by nebulization have not been established.
Healthcare professional, Therapeutic Products
Published:

Dear Healthcare Professional Letters

12 Dec 2019

Only abstracts of the Dear Healthcare Professional Letters (DHCPL) are provided on this website. Details of the letters can be found on the MOH Alert System, which is accessible via the Health Professionals Portal (HPP). HPP is a one-stop portal for all healthcare professionals in Singapore. Dentists, medical doctors and pharmacists may access HPP at https://www.moh.gov.sg/hpp/, and follow the procedures below to access the MOH Alert system.

Step 1: On the top navigation ribbon of webpage, select 'For Healthcare Professionals' followed by 'Health Professionals Portal' and click on the choice of profession. User will be redirected to the specific HPP webpage for the selected profession.

Step 2: Click on the Restricted Content icon on the left panel of webpage and login via SingPass.

Step 3: Click on the MOH Alert icon under ‘Applications’ section

Step 4: Click on the Drug Alert tab to view the DHCPLs.