China Business

Oct 29, 2005

Taiwan gearing up to produce Tamiflu

TAIPEI - The Department of Health (DOH) has urgently purchased three tons of shikimic acid, a raw material made in China used to produce the avian influenza-fighting drug Tamiflu.

DOH Minister Ho Sheng-mao said that with the rising global alarm over bird flu, Tamiflu is in short supply and the price of shikimic

acid has also soared, adding that this batch of shikimic acid was double the price of the last one and could be even higher in the future.

Ho made the remarks after Premier Frank Hsieh revealed earlier in the day that the government had negotiated a good price to purchase three tons of raw materials that can be used to make enough Tamiflu for 2.3 million people, or about 10% of Taiwan's population.

The government will now try to gain authorization to mass produce Tamiflu from its patent holder, Roche Pharmaceuticals, Hsieh said, setting a timetable to mass produce the influenza medicine from the end of December to January next year.

(Asia Pulse/CNA)

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