Citing a global need to prepare against the threat of an avian flu pandemic, a senior US politician demanded that Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche give up its rights over the leading anti-flu drug Tamiflu. Senator Charles Schumer said that other drug producers should be allowed to make identical drugs to ensure an adequate supply in case of a widespread outbreak of the deadly avian flu.
"The problem is not the expense of the drug but rather the shortage of supply, which would immediately be rectified if other companies were able to produce it," Schumer said in a statement.
Schumer said Roche should be compensated fairly for giving up its rights over the drug.
"I deeply respect the investment Roche has made in order to bring Tamiflu to market, but am confident that there is a way to both serve the public need and ensure that your company receives compensation," he said in a letter to the company.
A strain of avian influenza known as H5N1 has killed more than 60 people in Southeast Asia since 2003. The virus has been detected in poultry in Romania and Turkey in recent weeks and is suspected to have surfaced in Croatia.
