http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9835957/
BASEL, Switzerland - Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG said Thursday it had temporarily suspended shipments of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu in the United States to ensure that enough treatments will be available for the regular influenza season.
Roche spokesman Alexander Klauser said that Roche’s U.S. management suspended the shipments because of the increased global demand for Tamiflu, the drug that experts believe is most effective in treating flu in humans. Demand has increased due to fears of the potential spread of bird flu.
“The priority is that there is enough Tamiflu for the people who need it at the start of the influenza season,” Klauser told The Associated Press. “At the moment, there is no influenza currently circulating.”
Some pharmacists in European countries have recently reported a spike in sales of the drug as householders double up on government efforts to prepare for a flu pandemic.
“Roche U.S. said they would temporarily suspend deliveries of Tamiflu in the United States until there is an increased incidence of seasonal flu,” said a spokeswoman for Roche in Basel on Thursday.
The U.S. decision follows a similar move by the firm’s Canadian operations on Tuesday. The division said it would restart shipments to Canada in December.
Health experts have been pinning their hopes on Tamiflu in case bird flu mutates so that it could pass easily between people. While there is no human vaccine for the spreading strain of bird flu, scientists believe the Tamiflu may help humans fight a mutated virus.
H5N1 has killed more than 60 people in four countries in Asia and been found among birds in Croatia, Romania, Turkey and Russia, but no human cases have been reported in Europe.
There is no evidence yet that the disease can be transmitted easily among humans, but experts fear it is only a matter of time
Klauser said the increased demand would mean that “over the next few weeks, limited stocks would be available in most countries.” But he said the suspension, reported Thursday by The New York Times, would not affect the U.S. government’s order for Tamiflu.
“We have agreed orders with governments and we will fulfill them,” Klauser said. He declined to comment on what the temporary halt in shipments would mean for U.S. pharmacies and wholesalers.
Media spotlight
Media coverage of the spread of the H5N1 strain of bird flu has driven sales, the company said.
“This resulted in increased demand for Tamiflu in part from individuals who are doing private stockpiling and at the moment there is no influenza circulating and the threat of a pandemic has not (materialized),” the spokeswoman said.
“Our priority is to ensure that Tamiflu is available for seasonal use and to fulfil government orders,” she added.
Roche’s regional units were making decisions locally as to whether to restrict the supply of the drug, she said.
“We are also asking people to act responsibly and not to privately stockpile in order to make sure it is available to those patients who really need it,” she said.
“We do not want people buying it and keeping it at home.”
Roche says the production process behind the drug is long and complicated and the World Health Organization warns it could take years to make enough of the drug to cover the number of people it estimates could be affected by a flu pandemic.
Roche has said it will enter into discussions with other companies, primarily makers of generic drugs, and with governments in developing countries over whether they can produce the drug either in part or as a whole.
Several companies and countries have said they are ready to do so. Roche has so far only confirmed that talks have begun with the Taiwanese government.
Tamiflu is one of four drugs that can treat regular flu if taken soon after symptoms begin.
BASEL, Switzerland - Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG said Thursday it had temporarily suspended shipments of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu in the United States to ensure that enough treatments will be available for the regular influenza season.
Roche spokesman Alexander Klauser said that Roche’s U.S. management suspended the shipments because of the increased global demand for Tamiflu, the drug that experts believe is most effective in treating flu in humans. Demand has increased due to fears of the potential spread of bird flu.
“The priority is that there is enough Tamiflu for the people who need it at the start of the influenza season,” Klauser told The Associated Press. “At the moment, there is no influenza currently circulating.”
Some pharmacists in European countries have recently reported a spike in sales of the drug as householders double up on government efforts to prepare for a flu pandemic.
“Roche U.S. said they would temporarily suspend deliveries of Tamiflu in the United States until there is an increased incidence of seasonal flu,” said a spokeswoman for Roche in Basel on Thursday.
The U.S. decision follows a similar move by the firm’s Canadian operations on Tuesday. The division said it would restart shipments to Canada in December.
Health experts have been pinning their hopes on Tamiflu in case bird flu mutates so that it could pass easily between people. While there is no human vaccine for the spreading strain of bird flu, scientists believe the Tamiflu may help humans fight a mutated virus.
H5N1 has killed more than 60 people in four countries in Asia and been found among birds in Croatia, Romania, Turkey and Russia, but no human cases have been reported in Europe.
There is no evidence yet that the disease can be transmitted easily among humans, but experts fear it is only a matter of time
Klauser said the increased demand would mean that “over the next few weeks, limited stocks would be available in most countries.” But he said the suspension, reported Thursday by The New York Times, would not affect the U.S. government’s order for Tamiflu.
“We have agreed orders with governments and we will fulfill them,” Klauser said. He declined to comment on what the temporary halt in shipments would mean for U.S. pharmacies and wholesalers.
Media spotlight
Media coverage of the spread of the H5N1 strain of bird flu has driven sales, the company said.
“This resulted in increased demand for Tamiflu in part from individuals who are doing private stockpiling and at the moment there is no influenza circulating and the threat of a pandemic has not (materialized),” the spokeswoman said.
“Our priority is to ensure that Tamiflu is available for seasonal use and to fulfil government orders,” she added.
Roche’s regional units were making decisions locally as to whether to restrict the supply of the drug, she said.
“We are also asking people to act responsibly and not to privately stockpile in order to make sure it is available to those patients who really need it,” she said.
“We do not want people buying it and keeping it at home.”
Roche says the production process behind the drug is long and complicated and the World Health Organization warns it could take years to make enough of the drug to cover the number of people it estimates could be affected by a flu pandemic.
Roche has said it will enter into discussions with other companies, primarily makers of generic drugs, and with governments in developing countries over whether they can produce the drug either in part or as a whole.
Several companies and countries have said they are ready to do so. Roche has so far only confirmed that talks have begun with the Taiwanese government.
Tamiflu is one of four drugs that can treat regular flu if taken soon after symptoms begin.