Roche cuts Tamiflu production

Roche cuts Tamiflu production

	Published : Thu, 26 Apr 2007 22:58 By : Agencies Print this Story

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Roche Holding AG is scaling back production of its antiviral medicine Tamiflu now that it has filled orders from governments stockpiling the drug in case of a flu pandemic, officials at the Swiss drug maker said Thursday.

Still, Roche can boost production if inventory drops too low or the World Health Organization determines a need.

The deadly H5N1 bird flu has led to the slaughter of millions of birds in Asia and killed dozens of people. Scientists are watching for fear it will mutate and spread.

Switzerland-based Roche, with U.S. headquarters in Nutley, N.J., also is continuing several research projects to fine-tune dosage for children, people with the flu and those exposed to but not yet sick from bird flu or a severe influenza strain.

The company ramped up its production capacity 15-fold between 2004 and 2006, and now can manufacture 400 million treatment courses a year, William Burns, chief executive of Roche's pharmaceuticals division, told reporters during a conference call.

'We are taking steps diligently to make sure supply is not the issue' if Tamiflu is needed to curb an epidemic, Burns said. 'If we stopped tomorrow, we could still meet all firm orders in our hands, the next winter's supply and then some.'

Tamiflu sales began surging last year and helped boost Roche revenues 16 percent in the first quarter to $9.4 billion.

Despite big price discounts, some 80 countries around the world have ordered only about 215 million treatment courses, with some getting enough to cover half their citizens and others enough for 5 percent. The United States has ordered enough for one-quarter of the population.

Eugene Tierney, head of virology and transplantation for Roche, estimates a flu pandemic without any treatment would infect 102 million people in the United States and kill about 700,000. Giving Tamiflu to all infected people and all their contacts would slash that to about 39 million people infected and 51,000 killed.

Tamiflu, which Roche developed jointly with California-based Gilead Sciences Inc., also is taken to treat seasonal flu.