Thursday, December 10, 2009

Generic Tamiflu Approved

According to some local news stories, the Korea FDA approved, on December 9, a generic drug of Tamiflu (Tamivir Capsule manufactured by Chong Gun Dang) for the first time in Korea. For instance, see http://www.arirang.co.kr/Player/Player_Script.asp?vSeq=51913&code=News or http://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0103_200912091015149083.

Around 10 additional local pharmaceutical companies have applied for an approval for their generic drugs and are likely to be approved soon. However the approval does not mean actual distribution of the off-patent drugs. Without getting a license from Gilead Science (a patent holder of Tamiflu), the local companies can not put their products on the market.