Flu defence to be boostedFrom: AAP January 30, 2006 HEALTH...

Flu defence to be boosted
From: AAP
January 30, 2006

HEALTH Minister Tony Abbott believes a $21 million expansion to a pharmaceutical plant in Melbourne will help boost Australia's defence against a global flu pandemic.

The Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) factory at Boronia, in Melbourne's outer east, has installed the first of two new production lines for the manufacture of Relenza, a drug in global short supply.
Mr Abbott told today's launch the anti-viral drug, and a rival company's Tamiflu equivalent, were being stockpiled by governments worldwide in preparation for a possible "major public health disaster".

The next global flu pandemic could stem from bird flu if, as is feared, the virus mutates making it transmissible between people.

"We don't know when it might be but we do know it would be highly irresponsible of a government not to put all possible preparations in place for such a contingency," Mr Abbott said.

"Until such time as a vaccine against any new pandemic flu outbreak is available, anti-virals will be our frontline of defence."


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The anti-viral drugs would be used for the mass treatment, and possibly the prevention of, bird flu cases in humans.
Mr Abbott said Australia's anti-viral stockpile was big enough to treat about 20 per cent of the nation's population but the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard was 25 per cent.

The Government signed a major contract with GSK late last year, to supply more of the drug.

"Back in 2004 we made a very large anti-viral purchase ... for Tamiflu production but we don't want to put all our eggs in one basket," Mr Abbott said.

"By the time our current round of anti-viral purchases are all delivered we will have sufficient in stock, on shore, to treat about 45 per cent of the Australian population," he said.

Taxpayers have forked out $350 million on pandemic flu preparations within Australia and $150 million abroad, Mr Abbott said.

"If there is a new pandemic flu outbreak it will not respect borders," he said.

GSK Managing Director Paul Lirette said the Boronia upgrade was part of the company's $US2 billion ($2.67 billion) global expansion "to boost our global supply capacity