On Oct. 27, 1999, Hoffmann-La Roche and Gilead Sciences announced that Roche’s TAMIFLU (oseltamivir phosphate) had been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of influenza A&B, which includes all common strains of influenza.

TAMIFLU, the first neuraminidase inhibitor in pill form, was available nationwide in time for the arrival of the year’s flu season. The recommended oral dose of TAMIFLU is 75 mg twice daily for five days.

Unlike over-the-counter medications that only mask the symptoms of influenza, TAMIFLU is an antiviral agent that, based on in vitro data, targets the actual influenza virus and stops it from replicating from cell to cell.