Chugai majority owner Roche expands Tamiflu network

Roche, the healthcare company that has majority ownership in Chugai, has announced that it will have the capacity to produce 400 million Tamiflu treatments annually by the end of 2006.

The company has said that this is achievable due to an expansion in its global manufacturing network that means it will now include more than 15 external contractors across nine countries.

“Following our open invitation to third parties last year, we have now identified partners who will allow us to expand the global Tamiflu capacity to as much as 400 million treatments annually by the end of this year,” said William M Burns, chief executive officer of the Roche Pharma Division.

“We are committed to further expanding the knowledge base regarding Tamiflu and the H5N1 virus but we cannot do this alone and we need to collaborate with third parties.”

The H5N1 virus, or avian flu as it is more commonly known, is continually changing according to staff at Roche, but the company thinks its Tamiflu treatment can help if it is able to carry out further research.

Roche’s pandemic task force leader, David Reddy, said that “extensive research needs to be carried out” to provide “as much information as possible about the virus”.

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