Bird Flu Update: Taiwan Set to Make Own Tamiflu
We're not waiting for Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche's permission, apparently. Public health is trumping patents.
Taiwan's is the first government to ask Roche for a licensing agreement. While those talks are in progress, though, two Taiwanese pharmaceutical companies are ready to start making their own generic version of Tamiflu, as reported by numerous sources including the Financial Times:
In Taiwan, authorities said mass production of the antiviral drug would start only after the government reached an agreement with Roche or declared a public health emergency. Hou Sheng-mou, health minister, said this would not be done unless Taiwan registered its first human infection. However, other government officials said the decision would be made on short notice, depending on talks with Roche. Su Ih-jen, head of clinical research at the government-run National Health Research Institutes, said the two producers would need three to five months to churn out 1.5 tons of Tamiflu, the amount needed for coverage of 10 per cent of the population. “January to March next year is the highest-risk period for a potential pandemic. Therefore the government should declare a public health emergency right now,” he said. |
He's got a point, you know. If you wait until you have a health emergency before you start taking countermeasures, it's too late. Of course, it'd be best if a licensing agreement with Roche is agreed upon, and quickly.
And oh, am I too biased against the BBC or does this headline seem rather...disparaging? "Taiwan to Ignore Flu Drug Patent."