Swiss pharmaceuticals company Roche has launched a programme to ease access to its antiviral drug Tamiflu for developing countries.
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The company said the programme should ensure that Tamiflu is available to them if the World Health Organization declares an influenza pandemic, or for the management of a novel influenza strain defined by the WHO that has significant pandemic potential.
In a statement, the Basel-based company said on Wednesday it would produce and store Tamiflu pandemic stockpiles for specified developing countries at a “significantly reduced price” with the cost spread over a number of years.
Roche would ship the stockpile to the governments of countries concerned when an influenza pandemic has been announced or in the event of a public health emergency.
The Geneva-based WHO has declared a global pandemic for the swine flu virus A (H1N1), which has so far been treatable with Tamiflu.
Roche describes it as “very different” from the seasonal influenza virus.
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