The Hindu Business Line : Govt gets ready to handle bird flu outbreak issues

Drug companies Cipla, Ranbaxy, and Hetero are to meet the Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry soon to discuss the production of generic anti-influenza medicines in the event of an outbreak.

Mumbai , Oct 23

CRAMMED into tiny cages, chicken get transported into the dingy poultry-market in South Mumbai where Javed has his stall. Sitting amid stacks of cages overcrowded with birds, he does not get into a flap over bird flu. But to protect traditional small traders in poultry like Javed and be prepared in the event of a bird flu outbreak, the Centre has held an inter-Ministerial meeting.

As more countries report incidents of bird flu, a multi-pronged strategy is being put in place to address issues, from talking to drug-makers to addressing the vulnerability of people like Javed who transport or handle livestock. Travel advisories, though, have fallen through the Government's sieve.

Generic drug: Drug companies Cipla, Ranbaxy, and Hetero are to meet the Chemicals and Fertilisers Ministry soon to discuss the production of generic anti-influenza medicines in the event of an outbreak.

Despite the patent complications involved, the Government and drug companies are getting enquiries from West Asia and Europe on supplying generic versions of anti-influenza drug, Tamiflu, said a Government official who attended the inter-Ministerial.

Patent: Roche has the marketing rights to Tamiflu, but its patent application is possibly in the mailbox and the Patent Controller has been asked to check the status, the official added.

The mailbox facility was instituted by the Government during the 10-year transition period to the product-patent regime, which became effective in January.

The cost of Tamiflu is $60 for 10 tablets for a course over five days. But prices have skyrocketed in the global market resulting in instances like Internet auction site, e-Bay, taking the medicine off its site.

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals' Relenza is also being discussed, though the drug is more expensive and less popular since it has to be inhaled, the Government official said.

Animal Husbandry department officials, who participated in the inter-Ministerial, will look into the transportation and handling of livestock. The idea is not to spread panic, but be prepared, the official said.

Travel aspect neglected: Unfortunately, like in the case of SARS, the travel aspect has not been taken into account, and there is little clarity on whether advisories need to be issued on travelling to countries reporting the incident and whether people coming into India need to be checked.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical industry representatives are slated to meet the Prime Minister's Scientific Advisory Committee soon, with a plan on how they can contribute.

"We are under-prepared when it comes to medicines, vaccines, diagnostic kits, or respirators to tackle the flu," said the Nicholas Piramal chief, Dr Swati Piramal, who will make a presentation to the Government.

It is not just about stockpiling medicines. Across India's eastern borders, buffaloes are smuggled, leave alone chickens, she said.

But that does not seem to unsettle Javed, who has been in the poultry business for 25 years and through three generations.

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