Hetero unveils bird flu drug

Hyderabad: Hetro Drugs Ltd (HDL), the Hyderabad-based Rs 1,000-crore pharma company with leadership in anti-retrovirals, has unveiled what it called the country's first indigenously produced bird flu drug, Oseltamivir, in 75mg capsules.

Hetero is producing the generic copies of Tamiflu, a patented drug from the Swiss drug maker Roche. The drug is said to be effective in treating the worst symptoms of avian flu in human beings.

This is the first sub-license granted to an Indian pharma company by a multinational drug major under the new patents regime, according to the HDL Chairman and Managing Director, Dr B. Parthasarathy Reddy.

Hetero's launch of bird flu drug comes close on the heels of the country reporting its first outbreak of bird flu last week. However, the health officials are still awaiting test reports to see if the deadly virus infected any humans, he said.

Suspecting that people would panic and start taking the pills irrespective of whether they were infected with the virus, the Government did not permit retail sales of the generic bird flu drug. The Government fears that with such indiscriminate use of the generic drug regardless of whether or not infected by the virus, the disease could develop resistance.

Hetero Drugs, which had already supplied 5-lakh pills to the Government for combating the pandemic, has delivered another consignment of 2-lakh capsules on Wednesday.

Speaking at the launch of the drug, Dr Reddy said under the arrangement with Roche, Hetero Drugs would produce the generic drug and supply to the domestic market and also export to around 100 under-developed and developing countries across the globe.