California biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences is one of
many companies currently profiting from the deadly avian flu, which
is spreading across Asia and Europe. Their product, Tamiflu, is one
of the most sought-after treatments by governments all over the
world.
Although the first reports of the virus are still being
investigated in England and the possibility of a U.S. outbreak is
unlikely, the avian flu has already killed tens of millions of
birds and dozens of people in Asia since 2003, according to a New
York Times article.
“This virus is highly pathogenetic. If this new virus
became adapted to humans no one (would be) immune,” said Debi
Nayak, UCLA professor of viral immunology.
The U.S. federal government is emerging as one of the
world’s biggest consumers of Tamiflu. In July, the Pentagon
ordered $58 million worth of the treatment for U.S. troops around
the world. Congress is now considering a multi-billion dollar
purchase of the vaccine from France.
Another company benefiting from the demand for Tamiflu is
pharmaceutical company Roche, which manufactures and markets the
drug. Gilead receives a royalty from Roche, equaling about 10
percent of sales.
Some say the short supply is a result of copyright laws
protecting drug manufacturing companies.
“In 2001, just four years ago, we were reading headlines
about a possible bioterrorism attack involving anthrax. In both
cases, the desired stockpiles of medicines to treat these
potentially catastrophic public health problems did not exist, in
part because the patent owners could not manufacture the medicines
in sufficient quantities,” James Love wrote in his Financial
Times article “A Better Way of Stockpiling Emergency
Medicines,” published on Oct. 17.
This criticism points to the government’s recent contracts
to buy drugs from companies like Gilead, Roche and a $100 million
contract to buy vaccines in development from France-based Sanofi
Pasteur pharmaceutical company.
The U.S. is not the only country that has been criticized.
Health advocates around the world say it is up to governments to
press manufacturers like Roche, which hold the licenses for the
patents of the drugs, to allow competitors to also manufacture the
medicine.
Despite the recent rush of orders and the emergence of
competitors, including Relenza, developed by Australian
pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, Tamiflu remains one of the
most sought-after treatments for the avian flu.
The vaccine is designed to prevent all common strains of the
influenza virus from replicating. The replication process is what
contributes to the worsening of symptoms in a person infected with
the flu.
“The vaccine causes humans to create antibodies to
neutralize the virus. The problem with the flu is, it evolves very
quickly. That is why people are worried about the avian flu: it may
be radically different than previous viruses,” said Arnold
Berk, UCLA professor of microbiology, immunology, and molecular
genetics.
Tamiflu works as a neuraminidase inhibitor, interfering with the
virus’ ability to spread from cell to cell.
“The drug affects the proteins on the surface of the flu
virus; it will help prevent the virus (from infecting) the
cell,” Berk said.
The avian flu uses the victim’s own mechanisms to
reproduce in the cell. Tamiflu keeps the replicated virus from
spreading to other cells, allowing the body’s own immune
system to take over, according to a Gilead press release.
“(The inhibitor) removes acids off the viral surface
protein … and receptors on the cell. Without the receptors, the
virus can’t get in,” Nayak said.