GPO WANTS NEW PLANT FOR VACCINE

       The NationThe Government Pharma ceutical Organisation (GPO) wants to set up a new plant to produce 10 million doses of nasal-spray vaccine to combat type-A (H1N1) influenza, GPO board chairperson Dr Wichai Chokewiwat said. The move comes after the GPO learned the pilot plant producing the vaccine at Silpakorn University's Faculty of Pharmacy does not have the capacity to produce the 20 million doses of vaccine the GPO required.
       It can produce only 10 million, leaving the GPO 10 million vaccine doses short.
       "The GPO is now negotiating with the local vaccine-maker to help us out," he said
       GPO had scheduled 20 million doses of live attenuated vaccine to combat the pandemic by December.
       Human trials are due from September 4 with 424 volunteers, beginning with 24 in the first phase and 400 in the second.
       But the plan might be postponed for two months as the yield rate of vaccine viruses, cultured and grown in hen eggs imported from Germany, was found to be low.
       Wichai said this was caused by a new strain of the type-A (H1N1) virus that cannot be boosted to produce the seed vaccine virus.
       Wichai said GPO is now considering restarting its process, reducing the doses of vaccine given volunteers and speeding up the human trials.
       Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry's advisory committee on public health and medicine, chaired by virologist Prasert Thongcharoen, said the committee will issue new guidelines for medical workers on dispensing the second line drug, zanamivir. Many doctors have questioned whether or not it should be used with first line oseltamivir.
       The committee also suggested the Public Health Ministry investigate drug resistance caused by its overuse, by random-testing patients with a severe form of the new flu.
       National Health Security Office (NHSO)'s secretary-general Dr Winai Sawasdivorn said NHSO is distributing the antiviral drug oseltamivir to 217 clinics and private hospitals registered under the universal healthcare scheme.
       Each will receive 100 tablets of oseltamivir, enough to treat 10 patients.
       To monitor drug resistance and adverse effects, he said clinics and private hospitals were reporting to NHSO on their prescribing of the antiviral drug, according to Public Health Ministry guidelines.
       Prasert said he expected the swine-flu virus pandemic to slow during the next two months, but re-emerge from November to January.
       However, he said, "We cannot tell if the situation will be better or worse."