Swine flu Pandemic fears and Oseltamivir
During the outbreak of avian influenza H5N1 in south east Asia in 2005, the use of oseltamivir was widespread. It was during this period when nations such as Britain, United States, Canada, Australia and Israel began to stockpile large amounts of oseltamivir to prepare for what appeared to be a looming pandemic. They stored millions of doses but not nearly enough to protect their entire populations.
In the late fall of 2005, tamiflu maker Roche broadcast that it would be stopping the supply of oseltamivir to drug stores in Canada and the United States until the annual North American seasonal influenza had begun. They did this in order to assist it in maintaining adequate levels of available product due to stockpiling and also have antiviral stores available for the regular flu season. It stated that when supplies were continued, high-risk facilities such as senior homes and hospitals would receive the remaining medicine. Tamiflu sales were also postponed in Hong Kong at the same time then in November 2005 sales stopped for China, Roche claiming all further supplies would be directed to the Chinese Ministry of Health.
November 9th, 2005 Roche declared that Vietnam would be given approval to produce the first generic version of oseltamivir. One week prior, Thailand said it would begin to manufacture generic oseltamivir, saying that Roche had not registered a patent for oseltamivir in that country. Thailand produced its first generic tamiflu in February of 2006 with public availability provided in July of the same year.
December of 2005 found Roche signing with Chinese authorities to produce a complete oseltamivir medication with Shanghai Pharmaceuticals as well a license was provided in March 2006 to India’s Hetero Drugs Limited. June 2006 saw the Chinese establishment give approval to begin production on the basis of tests of the in country production. Shanghai pharmaceuticals said it would begin to sell the medication starting at the end of that same month.
Late in the spring of 2006 the WHO inquired of Roche that it needed to be prepared for emergency delivery of oseltamivir to Indonesia if necessary. This caution was made because of what was thought to be human to human spread amongst a family planned to last for fourteen days.
In December of 2008, Cipla drug company out of India won a verdict allowing it to produce a less expensive brand of tamiflu named Antiflu. In late spring 2009, it was announced by the WHO that Antiflu was “as effective” as tamiflu and was included in the WHO’s list of approved and prequalified medicinal products.