NEW YORK (AFX) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Friday it gave Swiss drug developer Roche Group a $149.1 million contract to provide Tamiflu to all 50 states and several territories.
The two-year contract with Roche Laboratories Inc. is part of a plan by the U.S. government to stockpile the flu vaccine for use in the event of an Avian influenza pandemic. The contract allows 59 jurisdictions to purchase the Tamiflu a federally negotiated prices and to receive a 25 percent federal subsidy for a number of prescribed treatment courses.
'Our ultimate goal is to stockpile sufficient quantities of antiviral drugs to treat 25 percent of the U.S. population,' HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said. 'Helping the states develop their own medical stockpiles will facilitate quicker distribution of antiviral drugs in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak.'
The up to 31 million antiviral courses that will be acquired through this contract are in addition to 44 million treatment courses the federal government has begun to purchase without state funding contributions for future distribution to states.
Since last fall, HHS has joined with state and local officials to conduct pandemic preparedness summits in all but two states, and the remaining two summits are now scheduled.
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