topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2112.21 -0.07
DAX 6334.52 0.30
IBEX 30 6511.2 -0.36
CAC 40 3035.68 -0.08
FTSE 100 5338.02 -0.22
AEX 292.18 0.03
DJIA 12529.75 0.27
Nasdaq 2839.38 -0.38
FTSE MIB 13100.23 -0.06
TSX Composite 11566.07 0.01
ASX 4081.2 -0.61
Hang seng 18713.41 0.25
Straits Times 2772.75 -0.24
ISEQ 20 494.54 0.25
You are here: Home News Belgian News Novartis receives swine flu virus

Belgian News

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


20/05/2009Novartis receives swine flu virus

The Swiss drug maker waits for the World Health Organisation's approval to produce a vaccine.

GENEVA - Swiss drug maker Novartis said Tuesday it received samples of the swine flu A(H1N1) virus and is awaiting the World Health Organisation's approval to begin producing a vaccine.

"We have received the virus and our researchers have started looking into modifying it so we can begin producing a vaccine," said a spokesman who added production would take three to four weeks.

"We are waiting for the green light from the WHO and the CDC (the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention)," the spokesman said.

Novartis already produces a vaccine against seasonal flu but now must decide how to prioritise production demands for each vaccine, given different needs for the northern and southern hemispheres, he added.

The drug maker is in talks with several countries to provide them a vaccine, the spokesman said without specifying which countries.

He added that it will take about four months to develop a vaccine for swine flu, which killed some 70 people, with Novartis using both the faster "cell-based" and the traditional "egg-based" production methods.

The spokesman's comments come as UN chief Ban Ki-moon and WHO Director General Margaret Chan meet with drug lab representatives in Geneva Tuesday.

Novartis hopes the announcement will raise its share price after it posted in April a 14-percent drop in first quarter net profit, hurt by unfavourable currency movements and a major acquisition.

AFP / Expatica


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Community Noticeboard Belgium

Holiday appartment for rent @Côte d´Azur (French Riviera)

American in Belgium

BUY NOVELTY DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD, PASSPORT

Discuss Belgian Culture

BUY NOVELTY DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD, PASSPORT

Belgian News

BUY NOVELTY DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD, PASSPORT

Community Noticeboard Belgium

BUY NOVELTY DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD, PASSPORT

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Looking for work in Belgium

Looking for work in Belgium

This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes how to write a CV, application procedure, interview dos and don'ts, Belgian management culture.

Practical, easy-to-use, free and... in English

Practical, easy-to-use, free and... in English

Belgium’s first alternative directory assistance services - available through the shortcode 14-14 - can now be accessed on the internet.

Finding a rental home in Belgium

Finding a rental home in Belgium

Moving to Belgium presents a host of challenges to expats, not least of all finding the right home.

Learning to cope with life abroad

Learning to cope with life abroad

The psychological effects of global mobility can be physically painful.