Gearing up against the spread of deadly Swine Flu, Israel will send a high level delegation to India to examine the quality of generic alternatives available to Tamiflu, an antiviral drug being stockpiled around the world to treat the influenza.
The delegation, to be sent by the Israeli Health Ministry, is scheduled to depart coming Sunday.
If the Indian generic alternatives are found suitable, Israel could spend tens of millions of shekels in buying them at a cost some 50 to 75% less than that of Tamiflu, the Ha'aretz daily reported.
The Health Ministry is considering making a deal with Indian drug makers. Though it cannot legally go through with it at the moment due to an Israeli court injunction preventing such purchases.
The order has been given in response to a 2008 suit filed by the maker of Tami flu, Switzerland's Roche, which wants to stop tender proceedings for generic alternatives, the daily reported.
Roche yesterday said that decision makers should look at Tamiflu's quality and availability rather than its price.
The Israeli Government yesterday decided to buy enough drugs to combat the disease, both Tamiflu, taken in pill form, and Relenza, an inhalant, to supply 30% of the population.Israel already has 11.5 million units of Tamiflu, enough to treat about 17% of the population.
If the delegation to India finds that the Tamiflu alternatives are being manufactured at high quality and will be ready soon then Israel could purchase 5 to 10 million units given a legal clearance.
Two cases of Swine Flu have been confirmed in Israel so far while several others returning from Mexico with flu like symptoms have been quarantined.
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