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Nature 401, 631 (14 October 1999) | doi:10.1038/44238

UK government not convinced by claims for flu drug

Natasha Loder

The UK government agreed last week that physicians should be discouraged from prescribing a novel anti-viral drug, Relenza, on the grounds that it is not convinced of the drug's cost-effectiveness.The government's announcement endorsed advice to physicians from the newly created National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), set up to provide guidance on whether new therapies should be introduced into the health service.