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_|JAPAN MAY DOUBLE ANTIVIRALS STOCKPILES|_
Japan May Double Stockpile of Antiviral Medicines (Update1)
By Kanoko Matsuyama
June 20 (Bloomberg) --
Japan should raise the stockpile of influenza medicines to cover about 60 million people, or half its population, against a possible pandemic that could kill millions, a government panel recommended.
Japan should also increase supplies of GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Relenza in case of emerging drug-resistance to Roche Holding AG's Tamiflu, the team, led by Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Jiro Kawasaki, said in documents that will be proposed to the government today. No timeframe was provided.
``There are many points that we must continue to discuss in detail,'' including deciding the ratio of medicines, Kawasaki told reporters in Tokyo today. ``We also want to consider including new drugs in development in Japan if approved next year.''
Tamiflu and Relenza are being stored by the Geneva-based World Health Organization and governments around the world for use in the event of an avian influenze pandemic in humans.
The medicines offer a defense against the H5N1 strain of bird flu that's spread to more than 60 countries and has killed 243 people in 12 countries as of June 19.
Japan currently stockpiles anti-viral medicines for 23 percent of the country's population. Tamiflu is available for 28 million people and Relenza supplies would cover 1.35 million.
Emerging resistance to Tamiflu, also known as oseltamivir, has led doctors to consider Glaxo's Relenza and other treatments for a disease the WHO estimates causes 250,000 to 500,000 deaths globally each year.
Prescriptions Falling
Tamiflu, marketed by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. in Japan, was the company's third-best selling drug last year, generating 38 billion yen ($352 million) in sales, or 11 percent of total revenue.
Prescriptions have dropped since the drug was linked to deaths of teenagers who fell from buildings after taking the drug.
Sales of Tamiflu in Japan fell 93 percent to 1.6 billion yen in the first quarter from 23.8 billion yen. Glaxo's
Relenza generated 29 million pounds ($57 million) in revenue worldwide in the first quarter.
The panel also proposed clinical trials in Japan for pre- pandemic vaccine to be tested on about 6,000 people, beginning in August. The results will likely be available next April, the proposal said.
``We must advance the vaccine production and at the same time discuss stockpiling pre-pandemic vaccines if the results turn out to be really positive,'' Kawasaki said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Kanoko Matsuyama in Tokyo at at kmatsuyama2@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: June 20, 2008 05:09 EDT
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By Kanoko Matsuyama
June 20 (Bloomberg) --
Japan should raise the stockpile of influenza medicines to cover about 60 million people, or half its population, against a possible pandemic that could kill millions, a government panel recommended.
Japan should also increase supplies of GlaxoSmithKline Plc's Relenza in case of emerging drug-resistance to Roche Holding AG's Tamiflu, the team, led by Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Jiro Kawasaki, said in documents that will be proposed to the government today. No timeframe was provided.
``There are many points that we must continue to discuss in detail,'' including deciding the ratio of medicines, Kawasaki told reporters in Tokyo today. ``We also want to consider including new drugs in development in Japan if approved next year.''
Tamiflu and Relenza are being stored by the Geneva-based World Health Organization and governments around the world for use in the event of an avian influenze pandemic in humans.
The medicines offer a defense against the H5N1 strain of bird flu that's spread to more than 60 countries and has killed 243 people in 12 countries as of June 19.
Japan currently stockpiles anti-viral medicines for 23 percent of the country's population. Tamiflu is available for 28 million people and Relenza supplies would cover 1.35 million.
Emerging resistance to Tamiflu, also known as oseltamivir, has led doctors to consider Glaxo's Relenza and other treatments for a disease the WHO estimates causes 250,000 to 500,000 deaths globally each year.
Prescriptions Falling
Tamiflu, marketed by Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. in Japan, was the company's third-best selling drug last year, generating 38 billion yen ($352 million) in sales, or 11 percent of total revenue.
Prescriptions have dropped since the drug was linked to deaths of teenagers who fell from buildings after taking the drug.
Sales of Tamiflu in Japan fell 93 percent to 1.6 billion yen in the first quarter from 23.8 billion yen. Glaxo's
Relenza generated 29 million pounds ($57 million) in revenue worldwide in the first quarter.
The panel also proposed clinical trials in Japan for pre- pandemic vaccine to be tested on about 6,000 people, beginning in August. The results will likely be available next April, the proposal said.
``We must advance the vaccine production and at the same time discuss stockpiling pre-pandemic vaccines if the results turn out to be really positive,'' Kawasaki said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Kanoko Matsuyama in Tokyo at at kmatsuyama2@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: June 20, 2008 05:09 EDT
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