Asian nations, WHO meet over H5N1 sharing row

By Fitri Wulandari and Yoga Rusmana

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Drawing up rules aimed at restricting how virus samples shared amongst countries are used would slow down global efforts to develop vaccines, the World Health Organization's top bird flu official said on Monday.

Indonesia, which is hosting a WHO meeting with health officials from 18 nations to discuss the issue, has said it will only share samples of the H5N1 avian influenza virus if it has guarantees they will not be used commercially.

Jakarta has also said it wants WHO to help draw up "material transfer agreements" to control the use of samples. Indonesia is the nation worst hit by bird flu with 66 human deaths.

"An MTA is not a solution. MTA will slow down the process of doing assessment and also vaccine development," David Heymann, the WHO's top bird flu official, told reporters at the meeting.

"If it becomes difficult for collaborating centers and industries to use the Indonesian virus, they will not use it. They will use other viruses and it will leave Indonesia and other countries at great risk."

Some health and aid agencies have criticized Indonesia for refusing to share samples, while others defended the stance because developing countries often struggle to get access to life-saving drugs due to patent laws and high costs.

Sharing virus samples is crucial because it allows experts to study their make-up and map the evolution and geographical spread of any particular strain. Samples are also used to make vaccines.

But Heymann said a blueprint on the sample sharing mechanism which is expected from the meeting, attended mainly by Asia-Pacific countries but also others such as Egypt affected by bird flu, would reassure Indonesia to resume sending samples to WHO.

He also said countries that donated virus samples to the WHO should be confident that the viruses would only be used as necessary to carry out risk assessment.

He also floated the idea of a "virtual stockpile", whereby industry would put aside a certain amount for a developing country every time a new vaccine was made.

COLLABORATING Center

Heymann said WHO director general Margaret Chan will meet with 10 major pharmaceutical industries on April 6 to discuss a financial scheme to guarantee purchase of pandemic vaccines.

Separately, Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari said Indonesia would insist on an MTA, unless the country received more vaccine technology.

"If there's no MTA, the viruses cannot be transferred. Without an MTA, maybe a research facility should be established in Indonesia," Supari told reporters.

"One solution is perhaps Indonesia could be a collaborating center. Why not? We have the most patients and viruses in the world."