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Amid rising global panic over a bird flu epidemic, the Korea Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it could override trademark regulations to allow Korea to produce generic versions of the anti-influenza Tamiflu to prepare for any outbreak among humans.
The KFDA said it wrote to Korea¡¯s Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Research-Based Pharmaceutical Industry Association and Bio Venture Association asking them to find a local company that can make generic versions of the drug licensed to Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche.
It could issue a compulsory license for the purpose, which allows nations to use patents without permission from patent holders in a national crisis or emergency as stipulated under a WTO agreement on intellectual property and domestic law.
The U.S. issued a compulsory license for anthrax drug Cipro, patented by German pharmaceuticals firm Bayer, when there was an anthrax panic after the 9/11 terror attacks.
¡°We are checking the technical possibility in preparation for an emergency,¡± a KFDA official said. ¡°Because a compulsory license is stipulated in the domestic and international laws, there are no legal problems ... The problem is whether or not we can make Tamiflu, whose manufacturing process is complex.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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