Roche AG's Tamiflu anti-influenza drug has been proven to work against H5N1, the strain of the avian flu virus that the World Health Organization says could be the source of a deadly flu pandemic.
In a study released late on Sunday, researchers from the Queen Mary Hospital in London said that oseltamivir, marketed by Roche as Tamiflu, is effective against avian and human forms of the virus, which has so far killed 32 people this year.
"Since the &to=http://english.pravda.ru/main/2003/02/20/43563.html' target=_blank>influenza virus is constantly mutating, today's is the first data to show oseltamivir to be effective against this highly pathogenic strain, which is currently circulating in Vietnam and Thailand," the researchers said in a study, informs Reuters.
According to Viet Nam News Agency, facing this danger, the WHO wants to mobilise governments, pharmaceutical companies and the science community to speed up production of &to=http://english.pravda.ru/science/ 19/94/379/11450_invention.html' target=_blank>anti-flu vaccines, Stoehr said, adding that the health body will organise a summit at its Geneva headquarters on November 11 to address this issue.
Dr. Klaus Stohr, influenza coordinator for the World Health Organization warned the world is overdue for a influenza pandemic that could take the lives of millions of people, and he believes the source will likely be the H5N1 virus.
In response, the WHO has called a summit meeting of flu vaccine manufacturers and nations to speed up plans for dealing with the growing threat of a flu pandemic, reports Health Talk.
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