MHLW Extends Roche's Tamiflu Valid-Use Period To Seven Years
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
The ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Nov. 12 approved an extension of the valid-use period for Tamiflu from five years to seven years. The extension will be also applied to existing stockpiles. According to Chugai Pharmaceutical, the drug's importer and marketing company in Japan, there are no safety and effectiveness issues. Last year, U.S. FDA approved a two year extension of Tamiflu's expiration date. Since 2005, the Japanese government has spent ¥54.4 billion and stockpiled Tamiflu for 24 million people, and next year, the government plans to stockpile the drug for an additional 26 million. The extension will save several billion yen per year. (Click here for more - Japanese language