Simvastatin and oseltamivir combination therapy does not improve the effectiveness of oseltamivir alone following highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza virus infection in mice

Nonspecific anti-inflammatory drugs have been purported to reduce the burden of severe influenza disease. We demonstrate that, unlike oseltamivir administration, simvastatin administration did not reduce morbidity, mortality, or viral load of mice infected with H1N1 or H5N1 viruses. No added benefit to the efficacy of oseltamivir therapy was observed when mice were treated in combination with simvastatin. Modest reductions in lung cytokine production in H5N1 but not H1N1 virus-infected simvastatin-treated mice indicate a potential benefit for statin use in mitigating disease following severe virus infection.

► Mice were given simvastatin and/or oseltamivir before influenza infection.
► Simvastatin treatment did not improve morbidity, mortality, or viral titers.
► Combination treatment was no more effective than oseltamivir alone.
► Simvastatin treatment reduced levels of selected lung cytokines.