On November 2, the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche announced that it is negotiating with a Shanghai-based pharmaceutical group regarding the production of Tamiflu, a medication for avian influenza.
According to a spokesperson for Roche in Shanghai, negotiations are currently underway between Roche and the Shanghai pharmaceutical group concerning the rights to produce Tamiflu. Concurrently, the chairman of the Shanghai pharmaceutical group confirmed to the press that preparations have been completed to welcome Roche delegations for inspections of their production facilities. The results of the negotiations are expected to be announced within the next 2 to 3 weeks.
Previously, Roche stated that it could not supply Tamiflu to China in the short term, but expressed its willingness to share technology to enable China to produce antiviral medications.
In another development, according to the World Health Organization, China has reported seven outbreaks of avian influenza since the beginning of the year. The Chinese authorities have informed that, up to this point, no human cases of avian influenza have been detected in the country.
L.XUÂN (According to SDA-ATS)
