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Originally posted by schrodingers dog
reply to post by Seany
It would be interesting if you could dig up the 2007 report to compare projections.
due to expected resumption of government
stockpiling in FY2009 and the ongoing recovery
of the prescription rate for seasonal influenza.
"Since our strategic alliance with Roche in 2002, we have acquired a rich development pipeline centering on the oncology field."
Roche is trying to boost its stake in Japanese partner Chugai Pharmaceutical to 59.9 percent from its current 50.1 percent.
So there's no guarantee the call to increase tamiflu production 500% came from within that company; It could have come as a hat tip from someone inside Roche... But I ain't got no proof.
It's interesting that their Mid-Term business plan is called "Sunrise 2012" though.
Flu Treatments The flu, like the common cold, is caused by a virus, so antibiotics don't work against it. However, there are many antiviral medications that can be used to treat the flu and may help your child to get better a few days faster. In general, they are only effective if started within 1-2 days of your child's symptoms beginning. Flu medications include:
* Relenza (Zanamivir) - a Diskhaler that is given by inhalation to children over the age of seven years. It is effective against Influenza type A and B.
* Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) - available as a capsule or oral suspension and can be used as a flu treatment and prevention in children over the age of 1 years and adults. It is effective against Influenza type A and B.
* Symmetrel (Amantadine) - an older medication that is only effective against Influenza type A and can be used to prevent and treat the flu in children over 12 months of age
* Flumadine (Rimantadine) - also only effective against type A Influenza and it is only approved for use to prevent the flu in children under 10 years, and not as a flu treatment. Because of problems with resistance, the CDC recommends that doctors not prescribe amantadine and rimantadine to prevent or treat flu any longer.
In a phone interview, Roche Chairman Franz Humer said the deal would create "the best health-care company in the world," with the largest resources in biotech research. "I don't think we do have a competitor now that can compete on a global scale with what we have."
@AlienChaser - While I suspect this pandemic of nerfarious origin, and and am very glad for this thread (S&F!) it does seem that the medical community is reporting that this new 'swine flu' is responsive to both Tamiflu and Relenza.
Q: Is there a vaccine against the swine flu from Mexico?
A: Flu vaccines generally contain a dead or weakened form of a circulating virus. The vaccine prepares the body’s immune system to fend off a true infection. For the vaccine to work, it must match the circulating, “wild-type” virus relatively closely. There is no vaccine currently that exactly matches the swine flu. The seasonal flu vaccine doesn’t appear effective against swine flu, said Richard Besser, acting head of the CDC.
Q. Is there a vaccine?
A. No vaccine exists to protect humans from the current swine flu, but the federal government is taking initial steps to prepare for potential production of a swine flu vaccine. The seasonal flu vaccine available this year is not believed to be effective at warding off swine flu, and it's unlikely that people vaccinated against the 1976 swine flu strain are protected against this new strain.
Canada's top lab in Winnipeg tested 225 A/H1N1 influenza "isolates" for Tamiflu resistance and all of them were resistant to the drug because of the virus's capacity to mutate. Tests in British Columbia also showed the A/H1N1 flu was resistant to Tamiflu. Tests in the U.S. have also come to similar conclusions