Biota benefits from flu vacc shortage
A potential shortage of crucial flu vaccines in the USA has boosted Australian biotechnology company Biota. Chiron, which had been expected to supply about half of the USA's stocks of flu vaccines, saw its production stopped by the UK health officials on concerns over its manufacturing process (Marketletter October 11).
Biota has built up a strong portfolio of anti-flu drugs and recently secured US government funding of $5.6 million to develop its second-generation treatments. The firm's first breakthrough anti-flu drug, Relenza (zamamivir), was originally overlooked by the Australian government for a national stockpile of medications, with a $124 million order placed instead with Roche for Tamiflu (oseltamivir), without a tender process. Biota is involved in a dispute with its Relenza partner, GlaxoSmithKline, claiming the pharmaceutical giant failed to properly market and advertise the drug (Marketletters passim).
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