Indonesia set to share bird flu samples with WHO

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia is set to resume sharing bird flu virus samples with the World Health Organization (WHO) under an interim deal that ensures they are not used for commercial purposes, the health minister said on Thursday.

In a controversial move, Jakarta declared last month it had stopped sharing H5N1 samples with WHO. The two sides then struck a deal on February 16 to resume sharing samples, but under a new framework to give developing nations access to vaccines.

Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari said that WHO Director General Margaret Chan had accommodated Indonesia's interests.

She told a national meeting on bird flu that WHO will send a letter guaranteeing that virus samples sent by Indonesia will only be used for risk assessment and not for commercial purposes.

Companies that want samples would have to make a request directly to Indonesia, she said.

"Once we get the letter, we can start sending our bird flu samples until the right mechanism is put in place," Supari said.

A meeting of health ministers from the Asia Pacific region and select countries will be held on March 27 in Jakarta to look into the new mechanism, Supari said.

In Geneva, the WHO confirmed that Chan had spoken with Supari about the twin issues of samples and vaccine access on Wednesday.

WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said discussions had focused on two key principles -- "sharing virus samples for risk assessment and access to vaccines by all countries".

"We are still discussing what the best way would be and how we could help Indonesia and all member states have access to vaccines and have (virus) samples continue to circulate so that they can be analyzed," he said.

Indonesia had previously said it had restricted sharing samples with foreign laboratories because it was unfair for foreign drug firms to use the samples, design vaccines, patent them and sell the product back to the country.

The issue has sparked debate in the medical community. Some health and aid agencies condemned 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 of virus samples is crucial as 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.

Indonesia last month signed a preliminary agreement with a unit of pharmaceutical firm Baxter International Inc.

Under the pact, the health ministry's research and development institute will supply the U.S. firm specimens of H5N1; Baxter will provide technology to help develop a vaccine.

(Additional reporting by Geneva bureau)