Faced with growing pressure from the US and other governments, Swiss drug maker Roche said it is willing to discuss allowing other companies to produce its antiviral drug Tamiflu, which is believed to be the most effective weapon in the fight against avian flu. The company has qualified that offer by saying it doesn't think anybody else has the capability to produce the drug. Roche shares have hit all-time highs in recent weeks driven by the demand for Tamiflu and the excellent performance this quarter by Genentech, of which Roche is the majority owner.
- see this article from The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)