Roche Holding AG (ROG.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday said there had been no new evidence that resistance to its drug Tamiflu was on the rise, as governments move to deploy the treatment against avian influenza in humans.
“Over the last few months, there has been erroneous speculation that resistance to Tamiflu is increasing. This is an area that Roche and independent groups have been closely monitoring and there is no scientific evidence to suggest this is happening”, said David Reddy, Roche’s pandemic flu head, in a statement.
The Swiss drug firm said governments can be confident that Tamiflu remains a critical drug, as recommended by the U.N.’s World Health Organisation, for stockpiling to prepare for an influenza pandemic and for physicians and patients to treat and prevent flu when it hits.