November 8, 2005

 

Roche halts China Tamiflu sales; transfers stocks to government

 

 

Swiss pharmaceutical maker Roche said Tuesday it has stopped sales in China of its antiviral drug Tamiflu - one of the few medications believed to be effective against bird flu - and was turning over its supplies to the government.

 

The company's "supply of Tamiflu is now being transferred to China's Ministry of Health for centralised allocation and distribution," said a statement issued by Roche's office in Shanghai.

 

The precaution came as Chinese health officials were ordered to step up preparations to treat possible human cases of the disease.

 

China has not reported any infections in humans with the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu. But health officials said a case would be inevitable if the country could not stop repeated outbreaks in poultry.

 

There is no approved human vaccine for bird flu, which is almost always caught from close contact with infected birds.

 

Authorities feared that H5N1 could mutate into a form that is easily passed from human to human, sparking a possible pandemic.

 

"The immediate distribution of antiviral resources to affected areas during the time of a pandemic outbreak is crucial for prevention of the spread of the disease," the Roche statement said.

 

"The government is in the best position to handle rapid response and distribution during such a time."

 

China's health ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment or confirmation.