GMED mentioned with the big boys,
>>The technology for producing a vaccine exists, but manufacturers will probably have to wait until the exact pandemic strain is known before they can build a vaccine to fight it. Currently, a few companies like GlaxoSmithKline, Chiron, Sanofi Pasteur and GenoMed are working on it, but it will take up to six months for a vaccine to be produced in great volume. Even then, it will be just a fraction of the amount needed globally.<<
Production of vaccine in bulk may take 6 mths
JEETHA D?€™SILVA AND CHHAVI DANG
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2005 12:59:08 AM]
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MUMBAI: As the threat of bird flu hovers over India, it is apparent that some drastic action is needed as the flu vaccine is falling appallingly short. What complicates the situation is that the next pandemic may be caused by a new strain of the influenza virus. The 60 deaths that have been reported so far are those that have been due to the H5N1 strain that causes avian influenza. At present, there is no specific vaccine to prevent avian influenza in human beings.
The technology for producing a vaccine exists, but manufacturers will probably have to wait until the exact pandemic strain is known before they can build a vaccine to fight it. Currently, a few companies like GlaxoSmithKline, Chiron, Sanofi Pasteur and GenoMed are working on it, but it will take up to six months for a vaccine to be produced in great volume. Even then, it will be just a fraction of the amount needed globally.
Oseltamivir, sold by global pharma major Roche under the brand name Tamiflu, is the most effective drug for the prevention and treatment of human influenza. This drug is not available in the country, though sources say that the company plans to launch the product in India shortly.
One of the early measures many governments are adopting to check the spread of the virus is surveillance of poultry and migratory birds. The department of animal husbandry claims that it has been conducting surveillance checks for the last four years, not only on domestic birds but also on the migratory birds.
Poultry sales have so far not been affected. A distributor for a leading poultry firm told ET that chicken sales have not shown any signs of falling. “No evidence of avian influenza has been found in poultry or migratory birds,” said Santanu Kumar Bandyopadhyay, commissioner, animal husbandry department.
economictimes.indiatimes.com
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