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By Val Brickates Kennedy, MarketWatch
Last Update: 1:43 PM ET Oct. 6, 2005
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BOSTON (MarketWatch) - Amidst heightened fears that the U.S. could be facing a catastrophic outbreak of avian flu, the White House has invited executives from the world's largest vaccine manufacturers to discuss how the government can help prevent a major pandemic.

The meeting will focus how an effective avian flu vaccine can be massed-produced in a relatively short period of time, the White House said Thursday.

"We are moving forward on developing a comprehensive plan to make sure that we are fully prepared to address the threat that exists," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

The meeting will also discuss product liability issues surrounding experimental vaccines, McClellan said.

The White House has invited representatives from Wyeth (WYE:
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At issue is a deadly strain of influenza known as the H5N1, nicknamed the "avian flu" because it has killed hundreds of thousands of domesticated birds throughout Asia. The flu has infected more than 100 people in that region, resulting in nearly 60 deaths, since doctors first started tracking the disease in 1997.

World health experts now warn that the flu, which is extremely deadly and responds poorly to most medications, will eventually mutate from a virus that is highly contagious amongst birds to one that can be easily spread from person to person. Read more about the avian flu.

Given the speed of modern travel, experts have predicted that such a ramped up virus could spread throughout the entire world in a matter of weeks, potentially leaving millions dead in its wake.

Medical experts also point out that the avian flu bears striking genetic resemblance to the Spanish flu, which killed an estimated 50 million people in 1918 with remarkable speed. The Spanish flu, like its younger avian cousin, leveled its victims by attacking the lungs.

Representatives from 65 nations met at the U.S. State Department on Thursday to discuss what types of contingency plans should be drawn up to prepare for a possible worldwide pandemic.

To date, three drugmakers have been given federal grants to develop vaccines against H5N1: Sanofi-Aventis, MedImmune (MEDI:
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Meanwhile, the U.S. government is stockpiling vast amounts of antiviral medications to treat the flu, particularly Glaxo's Relenza and Roche's Tamiflu. In addition, the Senate recently approved a measure to add $4 billion to the budget for the purchase of vaccines and medicines to treat avian flu.

Val Brickates Kennedy is a reporter for MarketWatch in Boston.