June 13, 2006

South Korean drug maker Green Cross imports bird flu drug

Green Cross Co, a South Korean pharmaceutical company, said Monday (Jun 12) it is now an exclusive distributor of a bird flu drug from US-based BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc in the country.

BioCryst has clinically tested "Peramivir" in the Northeast Asian region and the US. Green Cross is planning its own clinical tests in South Korea. The company said the drug, administered through an injection, is said to be more effective than Tamiflu, the only drug known to be effective against human bird flu.