What an outrageous question. Flu is of no use for anybody! One should better ask who fights farsightedly and efficiently against this plague. – Nevertheless, the question: who profits from it? Who makes money out of the bird flu?

About 5 percent of the Americans and twenty percent of the Germans are protected against bird flu. This is nice to hear. Although … nobody knows whether Tamiflu really protects from bird flu. Or whether the unpleasant thesis is correct that it can make healthy humans ill, seriously ill? … Certainly not, it is the preferred remedy.

Who Profits?

The Basel Pharmakonzern Roche makes a pretty good business with the bird flu. Allegedly its medicine does not only help against the usual influenza, but also the bird flu from Asia. More about the Hoffmann La Roche AG here.

Tamiflu was developed by the US firm Gilead Sciences. 1996 it assigned the license to Roche. Roche got the license to produce and market Tamiflu until 2016. Up to then Tamiflu had been an expensive slow seller.

… and then: Bird Flu

After the first reports about the bird flu in Asia Gilead Science filed an action against Roche and reclaimed the license. For the enterprise had done ”too little for the global selling of the remedy".

In short: Roche had blown it. Did nothing to establish Tamiflu as top-notch to protect against a pandemic. In February 2006 it seems as if Roche had learned its lesson. Roche makes up for its failures.

Wilson fans will remember the AMA (American Medical Association) mentioned in “Illuminatus”. Today it has changed its name: in ”The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America” (PhRMA). Apart from that everything else remained the same.

Example: AIDS.

In conformity with its government the US pharma industry explained that it is principally pro health and against epidemic diseases. Principally. But while in Africa the number of victims soar, the pharma industry adamantly protects its licenses and makes good profit with competitionless high prices.

Africa is a market, and a market is there to sell. What else. AIDS is the future one could say. And why? Because the US pharma industry to a large extent prevented turnover losses as a consequence of the inexpensive production of generics.

No Monopoly on Tamiflu

Back to the bird flu. At the beginning of 2006 everybody knew: Tamiflu becomes a billion dollar business. But one in which the US developer company would not participate. Because the exclusive license still was in Basel.

Therefore, Gilead Science and the US Government suddenly called on the ”Doha Declaration”. One only has to read such a paper correctly to find out what is suitable. The Doha declaration glosses over what is really happening on the market and promises health for all. First health - then the license.

It says:

"The TRIPS Agreement [which is the realistic strict principal agreement] does not and should not prevent members from taking measures to protect public health."

With this interpretation one wants to break Roche’s monopoly and participate in the Tamiflu business. Gilead Science wants and according to TRIPS is obliged to protect health. Therefore, the company can not wait for Roche, but must manufacture Tamiflu itself.