How the media caught Tamiflu

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7527.1277

BMJ 2005;331:1277 (26 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7527.1277

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How the media caught Tamiflu

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

From a bit of a dud to the world's most sought after drug inthe space of six months, surely Roche cannot believe its luckwith oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Despite a silly name and a lackof convincing evidence that it will have any real impact onan influenza pandemic, sales and recognition of the drug frequentlydubbed "our best hope against bird flu" have leapt through theroof.

Between 1999 and 2002 Roche sold just 5.5 million treatments.Next year the total sales of oseltamivir are projected at 150million. Roche's share price has soared this year by 60%.

Sir Liam Donaldson, England's chief medical officer, has notedthat doctors have little idea how effective oseltamivir antiviraltablets would actually be during a pandemic.

But this has not affected demand and Roche cannot make the drugquickly enough for the 50 countries currently stock-piling it.On the internet Tamiflu . . . [Full text of this article]

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Michael Day, freelance journalist

London miday@f2s.com