Antiviral Flu Drug Tamiflu Nearly Runs Out in Bulgaria Amid Avian Flu Panic

Antiviral flu drug Tamiflu nearly runs out in Bulgaria amid avian flu panic

SOFIA, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) — The stock of antiviral flu drug Tamiflu was almost empty throughout Bulgaria due to the panic over a possible avian flu pandemic, Bulgaria’s major newspaper TRUD reported Tuesday.

TRUD reporters found that the drugs remain only in four drugstores throughout the country, each with one to two doses left on the shelf.

Pharmaceutists said that many Bulgarians rushed to buy Tamiflu these days despite a high price of between 51.3 and 56.7 levs (between 32 and 35 US dollars) a dose as people thought Tamiflu was the only efficient medicine for the bird flu virus.

Tamiflu’s producer, “La Roche” in Switzerland, is unable to satisfy the orders from all over the world, the pharmaceutists said, adding that there is a lack of 500,000 doses in Turkey alone.

The local importers of the Tamiflu said they will try to import about 1,500 doses in the coming two weeks to satisfy emergency needs.

Bulgaria, which borders Romania and Turkey where cases of avian flu were reported, has taken precautionary measures to prevent a possible outbreak.