People are not so scared of the seasonal flu because it's "just the flu" (even though it kills thousands). The thing about the 2009 H1N1 flu is that it was a new strain, with minimal natural immunity in the community and (so it seemed at first) a high case fatality rate. It now seems that H1N1 is no more severe than the regular seasonal flu, but we are not out of the woods yet because the virus could still mutate to a more deadly form, as per the 1918 flu pandemic, which had a case fatality rate of about 100 times that of the 2009 pandemic.
Most Relenza and Tamiflu is sold to governments stockpiling antivirals in case of a disastrous pandemic, not to individuals filling scripts from their doctor. Drivers of the BTA share price would be a new pandemic, widespread viral resistance to Tamiflu (which is currently the only other freely available anti-influenza drug and more popular than Relenza because it is in pill rather than inhaled form), or a deal for BTA's newer anti-influnza drug laninamivir, now in final testing stages.
BTA Price at posting:
$2.06 Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Not Held
