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Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche announced it plans to produce sufficient doses of its anti-flu drug Tamiflu to treat 300 million people by the end of next year. The drug, commonly regarded as the first line of defense against a potential influenza pandemic, has been coveted by a number of governments including Taiwan and Vietnam in anticipation of a possible outbreak. According to statistics from Roche, about 50 countries have lodged orders or have already received consignments of the Tamiflu drug for national stockpiles.

 

Scientists in the European Union have committed in developing a prototype vaccine used to speed up the production of shots for immunization purposes in anticipation of a flu pandemic. Experts predict the inevitable possibility of such an outbreak. However, vaccines can only be formulated by matching the actual strain that causes the pandemic, and adequate amounts can only be obtained after six months. The research is aimed at perfecting and refining the other aspects of vaccine development before the virus is known and swap in the pandemic strain at the last minute. The group is one of several around the world announcing their involvement in such endeavors.

 
Unusual wiring in parasite may be key to new malarial drug

Researchers from the US has discovered that unusual sets of protein that are essential for cell function and communication in the Plasmodium falciparum parasite that causes malaria may be used as a target for anti-malarial drugs. Malaria, which may be transmitted by the bite of an infected female mosquito, is stymied to kill between 1 million to 2 million each year with ninety percent of death occurring among young children in the sub-Saharan Africa.

 
Super cotton strain set to raise output dramatically

A hybrid cotton species pioneered by scientists at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences is set to increase Chinese cotton outputs dramatically. The hybrid is stated to be able to resist boilworms and increase output by 25%. The breakthrough has been lauded by Chinese officials and experts for its potential commercial value.