The US regulators have found no evidence Roche AG's antiflu drug Tamiflu caused the deaths of children in Japan, US Food and Drug Administration announced here.

The FDA has been studying reports of the deaths of 12 children in Japan as well as other cases of possible side effects in children who had taken Roche's flu-fighting drug, which is in high demand as a defence against a possible avian flu pandemic in people.

FDA officials are seeking input about the reports from a panel of outside experts that is meeting Friday. The agency plans to ask the committee whether regulators should update warnings on Tamiflu or continue to monitor the drug's safety, said a report.

An FDA official told the panel the agency so far had seen no evidence that Tamiflu was responsible for the deaths reported in Japan, FDA said.