India’s Cipla readies 1.5 m doses of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) drug to prevent swine flu

Cipla Ltd has the capacity to supply upto 1.5 million doses generic oseltamivir (Tamiflu) drug to prevent and treat global swine flu outbreak, the company said in a statement.

Oseltamavir is one of the key medications available against the swine flu virus.

Now a strain of the common influenza virus has emerged infecting pigs across the continets. As the swine flu started spreading flu to humans resulting hundreds of casualties in Mexico and the other northern regions of America, WHO has raised the levels of pandemic alert in Asia too. The swine flu epidemic is now officially a medical emergency.

WHO thinks that the swine flu virus could spread across the continents and hit the Asian region as well. This created a panic situation leading to stock piling of anti-flu medications by several countries.

India’s Cipla is one of very few companies in the world which has achieved capabilities for producing oseltamivir, the generic version of Gilead’s patented drug Tamiflu. Read earlier story on Cipla Tamiflu. More stories on Cipla

“Cipla has the capability to supply 1.5 million dosages of the drug within four to six weeks,” the Mumbai-based company’s chief executive and joint managing director, Amar Lulla, stated

Cipla has already received proposals from people on behalf of countries in Latin America, Mexico and Israel. However, no approach had yet been made by either the World Health Organisation (WHO) or the Indian government, he added.

WHO on Monday raised its flu pandemic alert level from three to four amid global concern over swine flu. Mexico, the outbreak’s epicentre, has raised its probable death toll to 152 and cases have been confirmed across the world.

Recently, the Indian Patent Office denied Gilead Science Inc. patent rights for its anti-influenza drug oseltamivir phosphate marketed as Tamiflu, in India.

India’s generic firm Cipla Ltd had earlier opposed granting of patents rights to Gilead’s Tamiflu did not have inventive step – a pre-requisite for products to gain patents in India.

Cipla had received marketing approval from the drug controller-general of India in January 2006.

Patent laws allow governments to authorise supply from generic companies, subject to remuneration to patent owners to address public health problems, including emergencies.

Cipla’s version of oseltamivir is priced at about Rs 1,000 per strip of ten 75 mg tablets. It is  less than half the current Tamiflu market price of $60.

Now Cipla claims that it can legally sell oseltamivir to India and 49 other developing countries.

The US government has already declared the swine flu outbreak a public health emergency as swine flu has sickened at least 20 people in the U.S.

Oseltamivir may be given as a preventive measure either during a community outbreak or following close contact with an infected individual. Standard prophylactic dosage is 75 mg once daily for patients aged 13 and older, which has been shown to be safe and effective for up to six weeks.