Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Vietnam says generic Tamiflu could be made from plant local to country
Scientists in Vietnam say they have successfully extracted a key substance from a local plant to make a generic version of Tamiflu, the drug used to treat the H5N1 strain of bird flu.
Shikimic acid, a key ingredient in Tamiflu, was extracted from a local plant using star anise, a plant used to flavor food. Vietnam’s Chemistry Institute says the breakthrough means it will be able to produce a generic form of Tamiflu in an emergency.
Star anise is found in a star-shaped fruit from China and Vietnam. The scarcity of the plant has been blamed in part for a global shortage of Tamiflu.