Only by prescription in South Korea © 2009 F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd
Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Swiss drug giant Roche confirmed Friday, 6 November, it was under investigation by the South Korean Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for illegally helping British bank HSBC and other companies in South Korea to acquire the drug tamiflu. The FDA raided the local offices of Roche 4 November and seized documents and computer files. It is illegal to purchase tamiflu in South Korea without a medical prescription.
Geneva, Switzerland and Mumbai, India (Financial Times) – Cipla, a company based in Mumbai, India, is shipping a quantity of its generic drug Antiflu, which replicates Basel-based Roche’s Tamiflu, to Mexico. The WHO has said this week that Antiflu is efffective against swine flu (A(H1N1). The Indian drug sells for about two-thirds the price of Tamiflu’s price for poor countries and half the price that Roche sets for Tamiflu in wealthier countries.
Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Pharmaceutical company Roche is increasing its production of Tamiflu, one of two antivirals that appear to be effective against swine flu, A(H1N1), which is a new strain of flu virus type A. The company announced 12 May that it is also donating 5.65 million courses of treatment to the WHO (World Health Organization) as part of the organization’s phase 5 call for governments to step up preparations for a possible pandemic. The WHO’s official figures now show that 5,251 people have contracted the disease and 61 people have died, in four countries.
Confirmed swine flu cases
Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The global count of swine flu cases continues to increase and although there is only one confirmed case in Switzerland, the number of suspected cases is increasing.
In Switzerland, more than sixty suspected cases of swine flu have been reported to the Federal Health Office including a case at a day care in canton Vaud.
Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Basel-based Roche Holdings AG, the number two Swiss pharmaceutical company announced sales growth for Q3, although lower than forecasts, due to a decline in sales of the pandemic Tamiflu vaccine.
