Vietnam is extracting Oseltamivir phosphate, active agent of Tamiflu, to reprocess the bird flu medicine, according to local newspaper Youth on Tuesday.

Vietnam's Chemistry Institute is extracting the active agent from a large amount of Tamiflu tablets and capsules stocked up by the country, which are going to expire. The reprocess of Tamiflu will be more economical than new purchase, and help handle the expired medicines more easily, said the newspaper.

Using state monies of nearly 3 billion Vietnamese dong (over 187,000 U.S. dollars), the chemistry is synthesizing Oseltamivir phosphate from local star anise, an aromatic Asian evergreen tree that has purple-red flowers and star-like clusters of anise- scented fruit. The synthesis is expected to conclude in April 2008.

The institute's scientists have found out a process of extracting shikimic acid, a key material to synthesize Oseltamivir phosphate, from anise fruit. With the process, prices of made-in- Vietnam Tamiflu medicines are similar to those of imported ones.

Vietnam's Health Ministry announced late 2005 that it had inked a deal with Roche, Swiss producer of Tamiflu, under which the firm would supply Vietnam with necessary materials and techniques to manufacture the medicine in the country. At that time, Roche also agreed to supply Vietnam with 25 million Tamiflu capsules in case of bird flu pandemics.

Vietnam has detected 93 bird flu patients, including 42 fatalities, in 32 localities since the disease started to hit the country in December 2003, the ministry said on Tuesday, noting that it has seen no new human cases of infections since mid- November 2005.

Source: Xinhua