Plant churns out cherry syrup for Tamiflu

TEXARKANA, Texas, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The makers of old-style cherry syrup say their sales are up thanks to U.S. pharmacists using it to make the flu treatment Tamiflu more palatable to children.

Humco Holding Group makes a sweet cherry syrup named in the prescribing information for Tamiflu as one of the fluids the drug can be mixed with to create a children's version of the remedy.

"Our volume has exploded," said Greg Pulido, chief executive officer of the Texas company founded in 1872 by a patent medicine maker.

Pulido told The New York Times Humco has been getting inquiries from around the world due to the H1N1 flu scare. Pharmacists have been advised to mix a Tamiflu capsule with the company's syrup -- a simple mixture of sugar, water and cherry flavoring -- for children.

The Times reported Saturday the supply of liquid Tamiflu for kids is limited because Roche, the maker of the drug, is devoting all its resources to producing the capsule form for adults.

Pulido said the demand spike has the Texarkana production plant working seven days a week compared with the usual four.