A Novartis spokesman said, 'We are in contact with the WHO on the development of a vaccine.' --PHOTO: REUTERS
ZURICH - SWISS pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Monday said it had been contacted by the World Health Organisation to develop a vaccine against the deadly swine flu virus.
'We are in contact with the WHO on the development of a vaccine,' said a Novartis spokesman.
The contact is preliminary, however, as the group has not yet received any sample of the virus in order to begin the research phase, which could take up several months.
No decision has been made about when the development or production of such a vaccine would take place, he added.
Swine flu has been blamed for dozens of deaths in Mexico over the past month and on Sunday the United States declared a health emergency amid signs the disease was spreading.
WHO officials warned on Sunday that the new strain, apparently born when human and avian flu viruses infected pigs and became mixed, could mutate further.
Health officials have said oseltamivir, or Tamiflu, which is produced by Novartis' Swiss rival Roche, appears to be effective in treating patients. -- AFP
