: '' ! ■ s? ■ i
.
THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1978
Page 3
§ Drug studies conducted
Russian flu aid sought
AM
k
Ha,
By TRICIA BR UNHART
i influenza drug study is being
conducted at Texas A&M University
to determine whether one or both of
two drugs will prevent an outbreak
of the Russian flu, said Dr. John M.
[Quarles Jr., assistant professor in
the College of Medicine at Texas
A<NM.
he dmgs amantadine and riman-
ine are being studied.
Amantadine is a commercial drug
recommended for prevention of the
Russian flu in persons at a high risk
l|yel for severe diseases.
■Rimantadine is a related but still
experimental drug reported to be
more effective than amantadine.
■ One reason for conducting the re
search, Quarles said, is that the
Russian flu tends to hit the 18-24
iage group that is prevalent on col
lege campuses.
I Another reason is that the Russian
flu tends to go around a little later in
the flu season, which usually ends in
early March, Quarles said.
| The study was expected to be
Jme next year, but the Russian flu
has become more important this
ear nationwide, he said.
A “double blind technique is
;ing used in the distribution of the
ugs to the volunteers, Quarles
A record is kept, but the per-
who give out the drugs do not
Know whether the volunteers are
getting one of the drugs or a
Bacebo, which contains no drug.
I This is done to insure objectivity,
id Quarles. If a person knows he is
king a drug, he is more likley to
jxaggerate any illness symptoms
d if he knows he is not taking a
Jrug he is more likely to overlook
^ny symptoms.
I The drugs work differently from
®\ influenza vaccine, Quarles said.
| After taking a vaccine, the body
Judds antibodies against the disease
I and they will continue to be effec
tive for a certain length of time.
A drug, however, only helps you
hen you are taking it. This is bene-
icial when you are expecting an
Epidemic, he said, for after 24 hours
pi taking the drug, you are believed
otected and with continued use
main protected from flu infection.
The volunteers are asked to take a
capsule in the morning and one at
night, said Qaurles. If they get sick,
they go to Beutel Health Center and
usually Dr. Claude Goswick, head
of the center, talks with them.
Goswick estimates that approxi
mately 50 people in the program
have gotten sick.
People have come in to be
checked for illness, but it takes two
weeks to be sure if they have the
Russian flu, said Quarles. If the
symptoms are due to the medicine,
the capsules will be stopped.
The participants are also required
to give three blood samples: one at
the beginning, after six weeks in the
study, and two weeks after that.
They will also be questioned about
any symptoms they experience, he
said.
They are required to report
weekly for six weeks to keep a rec
ord of their symptoms and how reg-
ularly they take the capsules.
The volunteers are paid for their
participation, Quarles said. They
receive $5 for each blood sample, $2
for each of the six weekly reports
filed, and $2 for an illness report if
they get sick. Most participants
should get about $30, Quarles said.
There are sometimes side effects
with these drugs, Quarles said, and
these include confusion, anxiety,
depression, drowsiness, inability to
sleep, shaking, jerky movements,
dizziness or an upset stomach. A
person can quit the program any
time he wants to, he added.
Quarles is restricted from giving
out the names of the volunteers be
cause of a clause in the consent
form, yet one Corps members said
he participated because others were
doing it and volunteers were
needed.
There are between 450 and 470
people participating in the study
which began March 2 and is ex
pected to run until the end of April.
The Department
of Philosophy
of
Texas A&M University
Presents
Professor
Richard Zaner
Southern Methodist
University
The final results will be out some
time in May, Quarles said.
He speculated that the drugs are
not causing any problems, though a
small number of people have drop
ped out.
The research is funded through
the National Institute of Health. It
is a three-part effort involving Dr.
Robert Couch, director of the In
fluenza Research Center at the
Baylor College of Medine, Goswick,
and Quarles.
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