[WestCoastGal]

I guess Roche has the monopoly on flu drugs. With a pandemic looming something needs to be done so other manufacturers can produce generics.

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Health Minister Hou Sheng-mou calls on Roche to start discussion on granting Taiwan permission to manufacture Tamiflu
Content The escalating threat of a bird flu pandemic has prompted Taiwan¡¦s Health Minister, Dr Hou Sheng-mou, to write to the Chairman and CEO of Roche, Dr. Franz B. Humer, in an attempt to initiate discussion with the pharmaceutical company to obtain its permission for manufacturing Tamiflu in Taiwan. In order to protect the health of the Taiwanese people, Dr. Hou hopes to hasten the process of building up Taiwan¡¦s stocks of Tamiflu to the level recommended by WHO.

Taiwan has placed orders with Roche to acquire enough Tamiflu to cover 4 percent of its population by mid 2006. However, it will still be well below the 10 percent coverage recommended by WHO. In order to tackle the problem, Minister Hou took the initiative today through a written invitation to Roche, which called on the company to start discussion on a licensing agreement that would enable Taiwan to produce Tamiflu.

http://www.cdc.gov.tw/Website_en/Include/ShowContent.asp?T=P&ID=3470

[nw_arizona_granny]

There is no doubt that the world is scared of the bird flu.

It is as if they do know something that we do not.

[freeperfromnj]

BREAKING

Bird Flu Confirmed In Greece

Breaking News.ie ^ | 10/17/05

Posted on 10/17/2005 8:43:19 AM PDT by areafiftyone

State-run television has quoted authorities as saying a first bird flu case has been confirmed in Greece and tests for the deadly H5N1 strain are pending....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1503943/posts

[MamaDearest]

Info on Tamiflu

Demand for the drug in the U.S. jumped sevenfold in the eight weeks to Oct. 7 from a year earlier. Ten tablets sell for $60 in the U.S.

India's Cipla Ltd. said it plans to sell a generic version of Tamiflu by the end of the year. Health officials are concerned that the virus may mutate into a form that could be passed between humans.