Chugai/Roche to up Tamiflu supplies to Japan threefold

Chugai Pharmaceutical has revealed that it plans to increase the supply to March 2010 of the anti-influenza drug Tamiflu Capsule 75 and Tamiflu Dry Syrup 3% (oseltamivir phosphate) imported from its Swiss parent company Roche, for production and marketing in Japan.

In 2008, the Japanese government determined a policy that the country's stockpile of anti-influenza drugs would be increased to cover 45% of the population as a reinforced protection against the new influenza pandemic. In response, Chugai says it has strengthened domestic manufacturing capacity since March 2009.

In May this year, cases of swine A (H1N1) influenza were confirmed in Japan. Since the number of patients infected with the strain has been increasing and most of the population has no immunity against the strain, there is a concern about outbreaks of pandemic from the new strain in the coming fall and winter season.

Taking into consideration these situations, Chugai has decided to provide a new seasonal supply of 12 million treatment courses by March 2010 in addition to the current stock in the channel, so that all medical institutions in Japan can provide sufficient treatments against infections with both the new and seasonal influenza strains. This new supply will cover approximately 10% of the Japanese population, which is three times more of the amount supplied to the medical institutions last season, the drugmaker noted.

11,636 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Japan as of September. According to the web site of Japan's Infectious Disease Surveillance Center, since the outbreak, 579 people have been hospitalized including seven deaths as of that date.