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Hyderabad firm
claims boost up of anti-swine flu drug Hyderabad:
A Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company has claimed that it can ramp up the
production of anti-viral drugs, which can tackle the swine flu, even as the World
Health Organisation (WHO) warned of an imminent pandemic. Hetero Drugs, the only
supplier in India licensed by Swiss-based Roche, has claimed that it has reached
a monthly production capacity of about 80 million doses of 'Oseltamivir or Fluvir',
required to treat swine flu cases, within weeks. Hetero is an Indian company with
a sub-license from Roche to manufacture Tamiflu and it's the only producer licensed
by Roche for the generic drug in India. The World Health Organistaion (WHO) signalled
an emergency after receiving a report of the first death from outside Mexico,
where 149 people have died so far. The virus is now reported to have spread to
as far as New Zealand. Since avian flu caught the world off guard in 2003, Swiss
drug maker Roche has authorised drug companies in developing countries to manufacture
an inexpensive generic form of its Tamiflu drug called Oseltamivir or Fluvir.
"We supplied more than about 50 million capsules of this particular drug here
in 2006. At that time we supplied about close to one million capsules to our Government
of India. Also we are committed to our government that whenever there is any kind
of such situation, we are in a position to supply," said B. P. Srinivas Reddy,
Chairman and Managing Director (MD), Hetero Drugs Limited. During that time, Hetero
supplied about close to one million capsules to the Central Government, said Reddy.
Reddy said the government has asked them for the drug and may create a stockpile
of about 10 million doses to deal with any outbreak. "Again last week, our Government
of India contacted us. We have given assurance that we are going to supply. Yesterday,
there was an enquiry that they may stockpile about ten million doses. We said
we are ready to supply and cooperate," said Reddy. The company is licensed to
export to about 100 developing countries. Meanwhile, the fears of swine flu having
reached India were dispelled by the WHO, which said the country has not reported
any swine flu case and was prepared to handle a possible outbreak. Reddy also
said that there was no need to worry about the spread of virus in the country,
as the virus exists in places where the average temperature is less than 32 degrees.
"As far as our country is concerned, there is nothing to worry because this particular
virus, which is causing the disease, can exist only less than 32 degrees. Based
on the food habits what we have, our people even non-vegetarian people eat well-cooked
meat... more than 40 degree to 70 degree, where there is no chance of sub-existence
of this virus' survival," Reddy said. Hetero supplied 200 million doses of the
drug in the last three years within India and rest of the world. Reddy informed
that inquiries about the supplies are pouring in from countries like Latin America,
South-East Asia and Middle East. While there is no vaccine for the swine flu,
the generic drugs have been proved to be effective. The Government of India has
stepped up surveillance across international airports and ports to check for any
swine flu symptoms. The recently discovered disease (swine fever) is caused by
the H1N1 virus type through the mutation of flu that infects swine, human as well
as avian population. -May
1, 2009
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