Roche Pharmaceuticals, maker of the influenza drug Tamiflu, has stepped up shipments to U.S. cities with high incidences of the flu.

States that have been particularly hard hit this season include California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Nevada and Kansas.

Tamiflu targets the most common influenza strains, types A and B. Roche temporarily halted some Tamiflu shipments to the United States during the fall, when consumers fearful of a bird flu pandemic hoarded the drug. Tamiflu has shown some promise for treating people infected with the H5N1 bird flu strain, but it has not been approved for that use.

"When demand for Tamiflu rose last year, Roche took appropriate precautions to ensure adequate supplies would be available for the treatment and prevention of seasonal influenza," said George Abercrombie, president and CEO of Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. in a company statement.

"Because of those precautionary measures, Tamiflu is readily and widely available to patients who need it for flu treatment and prevention, while we continue to work with governments to supply stockpiles for pandemic preparedness."

This Article is from MyDNA.com

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