THE Swiss company that makes one of only two antiviral drugs that might help to treat a pandemic flu outbreak bowed to pressure to bolster production yesterday by handing blueprints to key parts of the manufacturing process to a number of rivals.

Roche Holdings said that it expected to increase output of Tamiflu by a third to about 400 million doses by the end of the year after signing up 15 new partners.

News of the move came as David Nabarro, the United Nations’ top bird flu expert, called on the EU to pledge more money to fighting the disease.

Roche has come under intense pressure to farm out production of Tamiflu. The company initially maintained that it would take at least three years for a rival to mirror its manufacturing processes but hastily withdrew the claim when scientists in Taiwan made a version of Tamiflu without the company’s help in only days.

Roche said that 15 partners, including Sanofi-Aventis, the French drugs maker, and Clariant, the chemicals firm, would produce ingredients for Tamiflu or make the medicine under license. Roche said that, following the initiative, it expected to generate SwFr1.2 billion (£530 million) in sales of Tamiflu to governments this year.

• Schering’s biggest shareholder effectively lent its backing to the search for a “white knight” yesterday, applauding the German drug maker’s efforts to maximise shareholder value.

  Helmut Perlot, chief financial officer of Allianz, said that the insurance group had not yet decided whether to back a €15 billion (£10.4 billion) hostile takeover offer for Schering. But he added: “We are open to all options.”

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• ‘Thousands of Tamils dying’ in Sri Lanka camp
• Jackson 'rebuilt his nose before he died'
• Tehran: militiamen attack protesters