U.S. should OK generic bird flu drug imports-group

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government should allow
imports of generic versions of patented medicines such as Roche
AG’s Tamiflu to help the country prepare for a possible bird
flu pandemic, a consumer group said on Friday.

Tamiflu currently is considered the first line of defense
against the H5N1 avian flu virus that experts fear could spark
a deadly, worldwide outbreak in people. Swiss firm Roche is
under pressure to step up production to quickly fill orders
from several countries that want to stockpile the drug.

Indian drugmaker Cipla said Friday it can produce generic
versions of Tamiflu to help meet demand.

But the United States has vowed not to take advantage of
world trade rules that would allow it to import generic
medicines in the event of a health crisis, the Consumer Project
on Technology said.

“There is no need to be constantly surprised and unprepared
when such emergencies present themselves,” the group said in a
letter to the U.S. Trade Representative.

The U.S. government faced similar pressure to allow generic
copies of a patented drug after the 2001 anthrax attacks. At
that time, then-Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy
Thompson decided against authorizing generic versions of Bayer
AG’s antibiotic Cipro.

“It’s not the last time we are going to be in this
situation. It’s been twice in four years,” said James Love,
director of the consumer group.

The drug industry has vigorously fought efforts to permit
generic copies of drugs under patent in any circumstance.

Billy Tauzin, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America, said such a step “would take away
incentives for other companies to undertake the difficult and
costly work of searching for new antivirals and vaccines for
this possible health crisis.”

“The work being done by America’s pharmaceutical research
companies is the greatest hope of finding additional treatments
and a vaccine for avian flu, and policy measures should be
developed to encourage these efforts, not discourage them,”
Tauzin said in a statement.

Tamiflu has been effective at fighting H5N1, although
researchers said Friday the virus was showing signs that it
could evade the drug.

Some experts also caution that it will be difficult for
generic companies to make copies of Tamiflu.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative’s office
did not immediately respond to a request for comment.