October 13, 2005
Tamiflu is surpassing oil as the world's most sought-after substance. The prescription drug made by Roche is one of the few drugs currently in production that is known to help fight viral flu-type infections.
Governments worldwide are stockpiling Tamiflu as they brace for the annual flu season and the prospect that the virus responsible for avian flu mutates and jumps to humans. Roche has reported that demand for the drug has jumped sevenfold in the past two months.
Drug stores in the U.S. filled almost 87,000 prescriptions for Tamiflu during the eight weeks ended Oct. 7, up from about 13,000 a year earlier, according to data released today by market researcher Verispan LLC.
Patients take Tamiflu within a day or two of getting flu symptoms to reduce the severity and spread of the virus and to help reduce the chance of getting influenza.
In many cases, patients who know about the drug are asking their physicians for prescriptions now, hoping to have a stockpile on hand if a pandemic breaks out. Most physicians seem willing to write the prescriptions.
Swiss-based Roche says it is working with other manufacturers to begin producing massive quantities of the drug. It is made from an acid produced from the Chinese star anise plant, which is in limited supply because it is grown in only four provinces in China and is harvested between March and May.
However, Roche says that is has recently developed a way to make the acid, called Shikimic acid, without the plant.
The World Health Organization last year recommended governments stockpile the Tamiflu capsule or Relenza, an inhalable antiviral drug made by GlaxoSmithKline.
