1 MN Swine Flu tablets can be made in 6 weeks

Pharma giant Cipla already has stocks of its Tamiflu equivalent Antiflu and can easily make more available if the demand grows

Pharma giant Cipla already has stocks of its Tamiflu equivalent Antiflu and can easily make more available if the demand grows

If you have been concerned about hospitals running out of Tamiflu, the H1N1 cure, breathe easy.

The pharmaceutical giant Cipla has said they already have a healthy stock of Oseltamivir, which they call Antiflu, and can produce a million more units in six weeks.

Speaking to MiD DAY on the sidelines of a conference on swine flu, Cipla medical director Dr Jaideep Gogtay said they were upping production of the drug and were in a position to provide the promised units if the government asked for it.

Alternative for tamiflu? Cipla says its Oseltamivir or Antiflu can be used to treat the H1N1 virus

Other Option

Gogtay added that Cipla was also upping the production of Zanamivir, the other recommended drug for treatment of H1N1.

Zanamivir, which is marketed as Virenza, has been found effective in cases where a patient has not responded to Oseltamivir.

He, however, assure that there was no reason to worry. "There are only three or four cases reported globally where patients with the novel H1N1 virus were resistant to Tamiflu.

In India, we are yet to see any such cases."

At present, BMC is using Tamiflu, made by the US company Roche Pharmaceuticals, to treat H1N1 patients in the city.

Kids More Susceptible

Though experts have hailed the idea of shutting down schools, they have also cautioned adults who feel that children are more at risk than them.

According to the results of a study conducted by the Centre of Disease Control in Atlanta, even though the majority of those hospitalised due to swine flu may be between the age group of 15 or under, mortality rates are highest in the age group of 25 to 50.

Children do pass the infection on to others more easily, but that is no reason for adults not to be on their guard," said epidemiologist and Haffkine ex-director Dr S M Sapatnekar.

1,462
People around the world died from the swine flu virus since it first emerged in April. So far, India has witnessed 18 deathsu00a0

0.4%
The mortality rate because of swine flu, according to World Health Organisation