Vietnamese scientists to develop generic Tamiflu

Tuesday, March 21, 2006. 11:01pm (AEDT)


Vietnamese scientists to develop generic Tamiflu
Vietnamese scientists say they have successfully extracted a key
substance from a local spice plant to make a generic version of
Tamiflu, the drug used to treat the deadly H5N1 virus.

The scientists say they used star anise - a native plant typically
used to flavour food - to extract shikimic acid, the industrial key
ingredient in oseltamivir phosphate as the antiviral drug is
generically known. "Our two month research became successful in early March," Nguyen Van
Huy, deputy head of Vietnam's Chemistry Institute, said.

"This means we will be able to produce [a generic form of] Tamiflu in
case of an emergency."

Star anise - which has a licorice taste like anise, but is unrelated -
is extracted from the star shaped fruit of a tree found in China and
Vietnam.

It is used in teas and as a spice in some Chinese dishes and in
Vietnamese pho noodle soup.

The scarcity of the plant has been blamed in part for a global
shortage of Tamiflu since worldwide demand surged last year, when
dozens of countries ordered the drug for their national stockpiles.

Vietnam has been the country hardest hit by bird flu, although no new
outbreaks have been reported in the past three months.

Since late 2003, as many as 93 people have been infected with the
virus in Vietnam and 42 of them have died.

There is as yet no cure for avian influenza, but the flu drug Tamiflu
has been used as a frontline drug to treat those infected.

Last week manufacturers Roche said they were raising by a third the
annual production of Tamiflu, working with around 15 partners in nine
countries who have licences to produce the drug or are involved in its
production process.

Roche has agreed to supply Vietnam with 25 million Tamiflu doses this
year.