LONDON, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Switzerland's Roche Holding AG will license its anti-viral Tamiflu influenza vaccine to several generic drug companies.
With fears of a flu pandemic rising, demand for Tamiflu is soaring far beyond Roche's capacity to make the drug, one of only two medications known to successfully fight infection by the deadly H5N1 strain now apparently threatening Europe.
Roche is licensing Tamiflu to Teva Pharmaceuticals, Barr Laboratories, Mylan Laboratories and Ranbaxy Laboratories, the BBC reported Friday.
The World Health Organization, which has documented 118 cases of human infection by bird flu -- 61 of them fatal -- is urging governments to prepare for a possible pandemic by stockpiling anti-viral treatments such as Tamiflu.
