Indonesia to produce Tamiflu

JAKARTA, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- Indonesia has received permission to produce Tamiflu, the anti-viral medicine recommended for the treatment of avian influenza.

Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari Sunday said the Ministry of Health obtained special rights from Roche, producer of the drug.

She said it has not yet been decided which state pharmaceutical company will be assigned to produce the medicine or how much Tamiflu they will make.

"How much Tamiflu will be made will be adjusted to prevailing need or a minimum of 10 percent of the country's total population of 220 million," she told the Antara news agency.

It will take three to five months to prepare for production.

The World Health Organization has confirmed seven of the 12 Indonesian citizens infected with bird flu since July have died. Bird flu has been found in 23 of the country's provinces, China's Xinhua news agency reported.

In Southeast Asia, bird flu has claimed the lives of more than 60 of the 120 people infected since 2003.