WHO to distribute Roche Tamiflu gift

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization is to start distributing a further donation of 5.65 million courses of the antiviral drug Tamiflu from Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding, WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said on Thursday of the antiviral drug Tamiflu from Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding, WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan said on Thursday.

Part of the gift, which follows an earlier donation of 5 million courses already distributed, is a formula for children.

Earlier Chan said the WHO was raising its pandemic alert to phase 6, the top of its six-point scale, because of the outbreak of H1N1 flu, which is susceptible to treatment by Tamiflu.

(Reporting by Jonathan Lynn)