The Hindu Business Line : Roche to begin Tamiflu supply by April

ROCHE is expected to bring the first lot of Tamiflu into India by April 2006, according to Roche's Managing Director in India, Dr G.L. Telang. Tamiflu is one of the medicines known to mitigate the effects of bird-flu and governments across the world have been in a race to stockpile the medicine in anticipation of a possible outbreak.

The Union Government had asked for supplies of Tamiflu and Roche has communicated this to its parent company in Basel (Switzerland), Dr Telang told Business Line. "We have communicated the requirement for about 1,00,000 packs and will be able to execute about 15-20 per cent of this order by April 2006," he said.

Pricing: The medicine will be imported from Switzerland, he said, and will be sold at the prices agreed upon for Least Developed Countries. In India, Roche will bring in Tamiflu at 12 euros (Rs 640) for 10 tablets, plus customs duty, he said. According to an industry representative, Tamiflu sells in developed markets at close to 50 euros (over Rs 2,600).

Dr Telang also said that Roche has communicated to the Government its willingness to bring in diagnostic kits, also in the context of bird-flu.

Generic challenge: Roche's announcement to bring Tamiflu into India comes at a time when the country's generic drug companies have said that they can manufacture similar versions of Tamiflu for the country's population that at present remains uncovered.

Gilead Sciences has developed Tamiflu and Roche markets the drug globally.

With the Government still to clear the cloud over the patent situation on Tamiflu in India, Roche's Mr Telang said that the parent company was in discussion with Ranbaxy. Cipla too has been called for discussions, he added. Cipla had thrown the generic gauntlet when it announced its preparedness to make similar versions of Tamiflu.

Mr Amar Lulla, Cipla's Joint Managing Director told Business Line that they have discussed the issue with Roche. He said that Cipla had asked for a licence to produce generic Tamiflu for markets where product patents are valid. The Indian generic drug company had also expressed its willingness to pay a royalty. But Roche has been non-committal, he said. Hetero Drugs is also waiting in the wings to make generic Tamiflu. Striking a note different from that of the generic companies, drug company Nicholas Piramal India Ltd (NPIL) too has communicated to Roche its willingness to enter into a toll-manufacturing agreement for Tamiflu.

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