see also:

• influenza
• oseltamivir (Tamiflu)

• Relenza is supplied in a circular doublefoil pack called a Rotadisk®.
  • each Rotadisk contains four regularly spaced doublefoil blisters with each blister containing a powder mixture of 5 mg of zanamivir and 20 mg of lactose.

• details provided from information made available by the Canadian Board of Pharmacy
• Zanamivir is a white to off-white powder with a solubility of approximately 18 mg/mL in water. The solubility of lactose is approximately 190 mg/mL in water.
• A 10 mg dose requires the use of two blisters.

• “In a kinetic study comparing a single dose of zanamivir 10 mg administered via a nebulizer to children ≥3 months to <5 years to zanamivir 10 mg administration via the Diskhaler to children ≥5 years to ≤12 years, all pharmacokinetic parameters were similar, including AUC0inf, AUC0last, Cmax, T1/2 and Tmax.”
  • 10 mg of zanamivir (from a solution concentration 16 mg/mL in NSaline) was mixed with 2 mL of normal saline and given via a nebulizer and mask.
  • The solution was nebulized for 10-15 minutes or until “apparent dryness” at an airflow of 5 L/min.

• 16mg of zanamivir (from a solution concentration 16 mg/mL in NSaline) was mixed with 2 mL of normal saline and given via a nebulizer and mask with airflow at 6-7L/min for 10min and dosing was 4 times a day for 5 days.