英国葛兰素公司本周二宣布中国先声药业有限公司将生产和销售该公司治疗流感的廉价药物Relenza，产品仅限于在亚洲和其他不发达国家销售。
Relenza是一种吸入式抗滤过性病原体的药物，类似罗氏公司的达菲，用以治疗因感染禽流感病毒引起的流行性感冒。
据路透社9月28日报道，葛兰素公司授权南京先声药业有限公司生产并在中国、印尼、泰国、越南及其它最不发达国家销售zanamivir（Relenza中的有效成分，亦是该药物的通用名）。
但是，先声公司尚未与葛兰素公司签署具体生产数量的委托生产协议。
亚洲大约有150人死于H5N1禽流感病毒引起的流感。健康专家担心H5N1病毒会发生变异，使之易于在人群间传染，最终大范围传播导致数以百万计人的死亡。
达菲和 Relenza不能预防流感大面积流行，只能通过降低流感发病的严重程度、减缓其传播速度而减轻流感的影响。病人服用Relenza的依从性性不如达菲好，因为Relenza必须使用吸入器，而达菲是口服使用。
葛兰素授权生产的做法与其瑞士竞争对手罗氏公司如出一辙（罗氏公司也授权别家公司生产其治疗流感的药物达菲）。
葛兰素公司（欧洲最大的药品生产商）数月前已声称要寻找Relenza的生产合作伙伴，这是它第一次先声公司签订此类协议。“先声公司不用提前支付大笔费用，不过葛兰素公司要在今后的销售中提成，但这并包括在贫困国家的非赢利性生产。”葛兰素公司的发言人说。
Relenza由Biota Holdings有限公司研发，这家澳大利亚生物技术公司将在销售额中抽取专利费用。
Chinese firm to make Glaxo's flu drug for Asia
28 Sep 2006 16:27:30 GMT
Source: Reuters
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(Adds details on commercial arrangements, royalties)
By Ben Hirschler
LONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Chinese drugmaker Simcere Pharmaceutical Group is to make and sell a cheap version of GlaxoSmithKline Plc's flu drug Relenza for use in Asia and other poor countries, the British group said on Thursday.
Relenza is an inhaled antiviral medicine which, like Roche's pill Tamiflu, is seen as a first line of defence in the event of an influenza pandemic triggered by bird flu.
The licensing deal gives Simcere of Nanjing the right to manufacture and sell zanamivir -- the active ingredient in Relenza -- in China, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and all least developed countries.
"This agreement with Simcere is intended to expand available supplies of zanamivir in areas of the world that may be on the front line of a possible influenza pandemic," Glaxo's head of pharmaceutical operations, David Stout, said in a statement.
Simcere, however, has not given a commitment to make any particular quantity of the medicine.
Nearly 150 people, mostly in Asia, have died after becoming infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus. Health experts fear H5N1 could eventually mutate into a strain easily transmitted from person to person, triggering a pandemic killing millions.
Drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza -- which is less popular because it must be given via an inhaler -- will not prevent a future pandemic but could mitigate its effects, since they reduce the severity of flu and should slow its spread.
Glaxo's licensing deal follows similar steps by its Swiss rival Roche, which has also brought in partners to step up production of Tamiflu.
Glaxo, Europe's biggest drugmaker, announced several months ago that it was seeking partners for Relenza but this is the first deal it has managed to strike.
Simcere will not make any upfront or milestone payments but Glaxo will earn royalties on future sales, except for those made in least developed countries where the British company operates on a not-for-profit basis, a Glaxo spokesman said.
Glaxo's partner Biota Holdings Ltd of Australia, which originally discovered Relenza, will earn a royalty in all territories.
编辑：蓝色幻想
