British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline said on Monday it was 'urgently' investigating how to boost production of its antiviral drug Relenza in response to the international swine flu outbreak. --ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
LONDON - BRITISH pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline said on Monday it was 'urgently' investigating how to boost production of its antiviral drug Relenza in response to the international swine flu outbreak.
The company has already provided 100,000 packs of the drug to Mexican authorities, along with a further 170,000 doses of its seasonal flu vaccine, and was discussing with Mexico whether further help was needed, it said.
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.
'GSK is continuing to discuss with the Mexican authorities whether further support from GSK is needed at this time,' a GSK statement said. 'In addition, GSK is urgently assessing mechanisms to increase production of Relenza.
'GSK continues to closely monitor the situation with the WHO and other national agencies, and stands ready to initiate discussions with local authorities for the manufacture of a vaccine to help prevent this new influenza strain, once a suitable candidate vaccine strain is available from the WHO.'
World Health Organization officials warned on Sunday that the new strain, apparently born when human and avian flu viruses infected pigs and became mixed, could mutate further. -- AFP
