Donald Rumsfeld Makes $5 Million Killing on Bird Flu Drug

www.commondreams.org...

Donald Rumsfeld has made a killing out of bird flu. The US Defence Secretary has made more than $5m (£2.9m) in capital gains from selling shares in the biotechnology firm that discovered and developed Tamiflu, the drug being bought in massive amounts by Governments to treat a possible human pandemic of the disease.

More than 60 countries have so far ordered large stocks of the antiviral medication - the only oral medicine believed to be effective against the deadly H5N1 strain of the disease - to try to protect their people. The United Nations estimates that a pandemic could kill 150 million people worldwide.

Britain is about halfway through receiving an order of 14.6 million courses of the drug, which the Government hopes will avert some of the 700,000 deaths that might be expected. Tamiflu does not cure the disease, but if taken soon after symptoms appear it can reduce its severity.

The drug was developed by a Californian biotech company, Gilead Sciences. It is now made and sold by the giant chemical company Roche, which pays it a royalty on every tablet sold, currently about a fifth of its price.

Mr Rumsfeld was on the board of Gilead from 1988 to 2001, and was its chairman from 1997. He then left to join the Bush administration, but retained a huge shareholding .

The firm made a loss in 2003, the year before concern about bird flu started. Then revenues from Tamiflu almost quadrupled, to $44.6m, helping put the company well into the black. Sales almost quadrupled again, to $161.6m last year. During this time the share price trebled.

Every story on Bird flu in the news has at least someone holding a box of Tamiflu....
I have never seen a report on History channel, Discovery, etc where this isnt the case.

Nice chunk of change for something that doesnt work.

And this is just a small percentage buying it now. Wait till there is some kind of spread to humans (i hope not).

$$$$$$$$$$

Only $5 million?

I don't believe it.

I'd say he's already topped a billion. Looks like disinfo damage control to me.

You are right, Sofi. Wait till all their troubles blow over and they once again have the time to concentrate on the dreaded Bird Flu.

Rumsfeld will own the planet.

Isn't nice to be a member of the circle of family and friends of the present administration.

If it was another less than desirable country leaders doing this it will be called conflict of interest and despicable way of making money out of gullible people while using scare pandemic tactics.

But here in the US is call free market and capitalism.

Is so nice to see why laws are make to protect the right people.

Ahh, you beat me to it, dgtempe. I just came across that story myself.

Funny, this bird flu has killed like 100 people since 2003. Since then, Rumsfeld's pockets just get fatter. On top of it all, the regular flu kills tens of thousands each year since then.

I see a pattern here...

Rumsfeld gets money from a company he dealt with. Company makes a killing.

Cheney gets money from a company he dealt with. Company makes a killing, gets fat contracts.

Then, Rumsfeld's a Bildeberger, who are big players in controlling the world. I see you, Rumsfeld, keep rollin in dough!



[edit on 14-3-2006 by truthseeka]

Hmm...good old cronyism, it's like reverse Robinhoodism.


Sherriff of Knottingham

Doctor says bird flu drug is ‘useless’
So how about some genuine Crawford snake oil instead?



So the morale of today's story is:
If your not innovative or hard working,
become a politician and just steal the money!



[edit on 14-3-2006 by Regenmacher]

Lol, i love your pics. How true, how true!

I'd take 20 bottles of snake oil over that bogus Tamiflu.

Ooooh!

I just got it! I get it!

Now I know what this was all about!

US Reluctant To Share Important Flu Samples


...Flu samples lead to knowledge, which leads to better vaccines, which compete with anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu...


And might derail the depopulation strategy.


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