Roche to ease Tamiflu access in developing economies

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche has launched a programme to ease access to its antiviral drug Tamiflu for developing countries, the group said on Wednesday.

The programme should ensure that Tamiflu (oseltamivir) is available to many developing nations if the World Health Organization (WHO) declares an influenza pandemic, or for the management of a novel influenza strain defined by the WHO as having significant and current pandemic potential, it said.

Under the programme, which will take effect immediately, Roche will produce and store Tamiflu pandemic stockpiles for specified developing countries at a significantly reduced price with the cost spread over a number of years, the group said.

Roche will then ship the stockpile to the governments of countries concerned when an influenza pandemic has been announced, or in the event of a public health emergency, upon request from the governments concerned, it said.

The countries can exercise their option to purchase the product at any time, Roche said.

The WHO has declared a global pandemic is underway from the virus known as swine flu which has so far been treatable with Tamiflu.

(Reporting by Sven Egenter)