Roche gives nod to generic variety of Tamiflu: Reports

Roche gives nod to generic variety of Tamiflu: Reports

Swiss Pharmaceutical company, Roche Pharmaceuticals, which owns the patent for Tamiflu, one among the four drugs that works against bird flu, has agreed to allow a generic variety of the drug to be produced by 15 laboratories in the United States in order to meet the needs of the general population should a pandemic of bird flu arise.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced that a deal had been reached whereby Teva Pharmaceuticals, Mylan Laboratories and 13 other labs in the country would go ahead with the production of the drug. "Roche has made the right decision. Instead of closely holding their patent rights and production techniques, in the face of a global health risk, they've moved swiftly to partner with multiple companies to dramatically increase production of this potentially life-saving drug," he observed at a press conference.

Schumer said that the deal depends on the orders for the drug that the US and other countries commit to stock up the drug. He also urged the US administration to grab the opportunity and not delay making a decision. Tamiflu, chemically oseltamivir, was invented by California-based Gilead Sciences Inc.

It decreases the severity of the symptoms and in some cases even prevents the infection. The drug is currently in short supply as countries across the world are stocking it up fearing that a bird flu pandemic could break out any moment. ''The purpose here is not to break the patent on Tamiflu, but rather to meet an emergency need for quantities of this drug that Roche itself simply cannot do alone," Schumer commented.

However, there were no details about the license agreements between Roche and the 15 laboratories. Roche, on its part has maintained that the production of the drug involves a complex process and is a difficult task. However, considering the urgency of the situation, the Basel-based company agreed to allow a generic variety to be produced.