# 2721
In November of 2007, the UK's SAG (Science Advisory Group) recommended that Britain increase their Antiviral Stockpile from their current levels, deemed adequate to treat 25% of the nation, to enough to treat 75% of the population.
Basically, trebling the supply.
Previous blogs on this issue include UK To Double Pandemic Flu Drug Stockpile , Prudence and the Pill, and How Much Tamiflu Is Enough? )
After considerable debate, a decision was reached to double the supply, which would give the UK 30 million 10-pill doses.
Not quite what the SAG pushed for, but a major increase nonetheless.
Today, the UK DOH has announced that they have awarded contracts to Roche and GlaxoSmithKline, and that the new stockpiles should be in place by April 2009.
This will put the UK in the forefront as being one of the best stockpiled nations in the world in regards to antivirals for their population.
While there are concerns that antivirals may lose some of their effectiveness during a pandemic, they remain one of the few treatment options available for pandemic influenza.
The BBC is reporting that this new purchase will consist of 10.6 million doses of Relenza in addition to another 7.6 million doses of Tamiflu.
This will hopefully give doctors more options if antiviral resistance to one drug should occur.
Meanwhile, the United States is closing in on their goal of a combined State and Federal stockpile sufficient to treat 25% of the nation.
The HHS has urged the private sector here in the United States to join in, in order to expand coverage to include outbreak prophylaxis for high risk employees.
This from the UK DOH website.
Thursday 29 January 2009 12:36
Department of Health (National)
Pandemic flu drug stockpiles are set to doubleThe UK today awarded contracts to double emergency supplies of flu drugs to treat everyone who is predicted to fall ill in a pandemic, making the UK one of the most prepared countries in the world.
The agreements with Roche and GlaxoSmithKline will double antiviral stockpiles, which are expected to be in place by April 2009. The contracts will deliver an additional 7.6 million treatment courses of Tamiflu (Roche) and 10.6 million treatment courses of Relenza (GlaxoSmithKline). Once the extra capacity is in place, there will be 33.5 million treatment courses of antivirals.
Without antiviral treatment, estimates suggest that up to 750,000 people could die in the UK during a pandemic. Antivirals will play a key role in the clinical response, reducing the severity of the illness and reducing the chance that complications such as pneumonia will set in.
There are currently enough drugs for a quarter of the population, but the latest cross-government pandemic plan aims to cope with the worse case scenario of an infection rate that could hit up to half the UK population. Contracts awarded today by the Department of Health will ensure that we can meet that aim.
Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said:
"The UK is already widely recognised as one of the best prepared countries in the world. The increased flu-drug stockpile means that we should be able to treat everyone who falls ill in a pandemic.
"Antivirals are an important part of our robust countermeasure strategy and will ensure we respond effectively in the event of a flu pandemic."
World Health Organization Assistant Director-General for Health Security and Environment Dr David Heymann said:
"The UK remains among the best prepared countries in the world.
"Purchasing enough antivirals to treat the worst case attack rate scenario, and two different antivirals in case resistance develops, is a first class example of the UK's advanced planning."
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