gsk plans production to 190 million courses

Hi Guys,

This news is just the cream on the cake and shows us again the potential that is now unfolding due to the swine flu and the resistance that is found in Tamiflu.

The USA is basically forcing GSK to produce as much Relenza as possible , that is what I expect has been told to them behind close doors.

Read the following extract from this long article.

Go to the pages 71 and 72 where you also get info about 4-zanamavir.

Good luck

jojo

http://www.hhs.gov/aspr/conferences/nbsb/nbsb-h1n1forum-sum-090617.pdf


Before the current outbreak, GSK’s production capacity for the Rotadisk/Diskhaler was 1 million treatment courses per year. Since the outbreak, GSK reactivated production lines in North Carolina, France, and Australia. (Products from the Australian site are not approved for U.S. distribution.) Now, GSK can produce 49 million treatment courses this year, with a goal of 90 million per year. All of the inhaled products GSK can produce for this year has already been sold and accounted for. Therefore, production capacity is not adequate for global demand if a second wave of H1N1 arises, that is also oseltamivirresistant.
To meet the potential increased demand for zanamivir, GSK is exploring an alternative presentation, the Rotacap/Rotahaler, for which production is more rapidly scalable. Rotacap/Rotahaler could be available for emergency use only, and production would not affect the production of the Rotadisk/Diskhaler. GSK is in negotiations with FDA and others about investing in the Rotacap/Rotahaler presentation.

With its current equipment, GSK could produce 20 million treatment courses of Rotacap/Rotahaler in 2009. With more investment in tools and starting materials, it could produce 50 million courses by mid-2010.

The maximum capacity would be approximately 100 million courses per year using GSK facilities only. Unlike the Rotadisk/Diskhaler, other manufacturers could produce the Rotacap/Rotahaler.

If both presentations were produced, GSK could potentially provide 60 million treatment courses this year, and a maximum of 190 million courses per year.