Mumbai-based Cipla has launched Oseltamivir, a generic version of Roche s Tamiflu, used in the treatment of the H1N1 virus, under the brand name, Antiflu, in India. Cipla s Oseltamivir brand will cost Rs 475 for 10 capsules, and its 75 ml syrup will be similarly priced. Cipla s drug is also pre-qualified by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The H1N1 virus outbreak from the early part of the year was declared a pandemic in June and continues to spread globally. On Monday, the health ministry said more than 500 people have died from the flu in India since the first fatality was reported in August, with Maharashtra seeing the largest toll of 207 deaths. More than 14,000 people have tested positive for the flu across India during the period. More than 5,700 people have died worldwide since the virus was first discovered in April. Influenza, a perceivably benign condition, kills about 2.5 to 5 lakh people every year worldwide, according to the WHO. These are generally the elderly or those with chronic conditions of the lung, heart or kidney. The fatality pattern this year with the 2009 H1N1 virus has been unusual, with the virus attacking healthy adults and children and pregnant women, said JA Gogtay, medical director, Cipla. The company s shares closed at Rs 304.75 on the BSE (^BSESN : 16849.6 0) on Wednesday, up 1.43%. According to YK Hamied, chairman, Cipla, the company has offered to supply Antiflu to the United States. There is a shortage in the US. We have made an offer. It s up to them, he said. Cipla can produce two million doses of Oseltamivir a month if needed, he added.
| NIFTY 
