Govt asks Roche, GSK to build up bird flu drug stock RAJESH UNNIKRISHNAN AND JEETHA D’SILVA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2005 02:27:02 AM] NRI Special Offer! MUMBAI: The government is pulling out all stops to ensure that the country is adequately prepared for a likely influenza outbreak. The government has asked GlaxoSmithKline and Roche to build up the stock of Oseltamivir, the bird flu drug.
Sources said that senior government officials in the health ministry recently met with the heads of the Indian arms of MNCs Roche and GlaxoSmithKline. According to them, the government has asked the two companies to build up stocks of their flu drugs in the country. Confirming the development, S Kalayanasundram, managing director, GSK India, said: “The government had asked the company to create its own stockpile of Relenza in India. The company has communicated this to its parent company in UK and is in the process of acting on the government’s request.” Roche’s flu drug — Tamiflu (generic name - oseltamivir), and GlaxoSmithKline’s product — Relenza (generic name: zanamavir) are currently not marketed in the country. Sources told ET that the government has also asked Swiss multinational Roche to build a stock of Tamiflu.
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