 |
 |
|
Home | About Natural News | Contact Us | Write for Natural News | Media Information | Advertise with Natural News | |||
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
 Email this article to a friend  Printable Version FREE Email Newsletter
The Obama administration declared the spread of swine flu a public health emergency on April 26, 2009. The Associated Press reported that "Swine flu is now formally a pandemic, a declaration by U.N. health officials that will speed vaccine production and spur government spending to combat the first global flu epidemic in 41 years," on June 11, 2009. "WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan made the long-awaited declaration after the U.N. agency held an emergency meeting with flu experts and said she was moving to phase 6 -- the agency's highest alert level -- which means a pandemic is under way," the AP advised. Since the "highest alert" warning was issued, the only estimation that has turned out to be true is that the drug companies are experiencing a windfall of tax dollars pouring into their coffers. The US government "has committed $1.8 billion to companies to make a swine flu vaccine," Reuters reported on September 30, 2009, in an article with the headline, "Big pharma jumps back into flu business." "Three big U.S. pharmaceutical companies announced vaccine deals this week," Reuters noted, for companies that included Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories and Merck. "Abbott Labs bought a Belgian drug business, along with its flu vaccine facilities, for $6.6 billion. Johnson & Johnson invested $444 million in a Dutch biotech firm (Crucell) that makes and develops flu vaccines. Merck which already makes vaccines for shingles and other diseases, struck a deal to distribute flu shots made by Australian CSL," ABC News reported on October 14, 2009 "Smaller biotechs are also angling for a slice of the action, making vaccines one of the fastest-growing areas of research in the biotech industry," ABC noted. Dr Robert Belshe, director of Saint Louis University's Center for Vaccine Development, told Reuters that the US is on the verge of recommending that all citizens get a flu shot. "We're at 270 million people who should get vaccinated. It's a big market. I think manufacturers are just now catching up," he said. "The vaccine market is booming. It's an enormous growth area for pharmaceuticals at a time when other areas are not doing so well," Bruce Carlson, a spokesperson for the market research firm Kalorama, told ABC News. On October 1, 2009, under the headline, "Vical shares soar on Navy's H1N1 contract," Fierce Vaccines advised that: "Anyone doubting just how hot H1N1 news is right now should check out Vical's stock price this morning." "The developer announced a modest $1.3 million contract with the Navy to fund the manufacturing and testing of its swine flu vaccine and the company's stock shot up 22 percent," the report said. On September 29, 2009, Reuters noted that the H1N1 flu pandemic is not "the first flu outbreak to have lifted the shares of small vaccine makers." "The H5N1 bird flu scare that began in 2005 fueled a similar rise," the reports said. "And the media statements issued by companies then are similar to many of those issued today." "In May 2006, Vical, for example, announced that its bird flu vaccine protected mice and ferrets against H5N1," Reuters recalled. "This year, it said its H1N1 pandemic flu vaccine protected rabbits and mice. The news sent its shares soaring," the report noted. Vaccine Makers Fund StudiesOn September 10, 2009, MedPage Today ran the headline: "H1N1 Vaccines Safe, Immunogenic in Single Dose"."Two investigational vaccines against the pandemic H1N1 flu appear to be safe and to yield a robust immune response with a single dose," MedPage reported. "Those findings," it said, "contained in two preliminary reports published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine -- are reassuring, experts said." The first report is from an Australian study supported by CSL and the Department of Health and Aging of the Australian government. "All authors report being employees of CSL and several report having an equity interest in the company," according to MedPage. The second report is from a British study supported by University Hospitals Leicester and Novartis. Study leader, Dr Iain Stephenson, "reported financial links with Novartis Vaccines, Sanofi Pasteur, Baxter Vaccines, Hoffmann–La Roche, and GlaxoSmithKline," MedPage noted. Profits GaloreOn September 21, 2009, Reuters reported that the United States had ordered 222 million doses of H1N1 vaccine from five drug makers that include GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Pasteur, Australia's CSL, AstraZeneca's MedImmune division and Novartis.CSL has contracts to supply $180 million worth of bulk antigen to the US. Sanofi-Pasteur is providing more than 100 million doses to the US, in a $690 million order. On September 25, 2009, MedImmune said it has "received a federal order for 29 million more doses of its nasal H1N1 flu vaccine, bringing its total order to more than 40 million doses, with a value of about $453 million," according to Gazette.net. Seeking Alpha reported on August 24, 2009, that the "Swiss company Novartis received an order for $346 million for antigen and $343.8 million for adjuvant totalling $690 million in July." The most recent estimates have GlaxoSmithKline "reaping some $4.8 billion from the pandemic, between its Pandemrix vaccine, its Relenza antiviral drug, and other products such as antiviral face masks and flu diagnostics," Fierce Pharma reported on October 9, 2009. On June 11, 2009, Kalorama Information issued a press release with the headline, "New Report Forecasts More Than Doubling of Vaccine Sales by 2013." The new report titled, "Vaccines 2009: World Market Analysis, Key Players, and Critical Trends in a Fast-Changing Industry," forecasts the market "to more than double by 2013 due to a strong pipeline of new products and rising usage of current products around the world," Kalorama wrote. In the press release, Kalorama described 2008 as another "stellar year for the world vaccine market," in which sales "grew 21.5% since 2007 to reach $19.2 billion." "Few areas of pharmaceuticals have seen the fast-moving developments in the marketplace that the vaccine market has," Kalorama noted. Antiviral Drug HypeOn October 15, 2009, the Financial Times ran the headline: "Tamiflu boosts Roche sales figures," and reported that sales figures "were boosted by bumper demand for Tamiflu amid persistent fears about a global flu pandemic."Tamiflu sales of $1.9 billion in the first nine months were more than four times ahead of the same period last year and third quarter sales figures were "nearly 10 times more than in the same period last year." On July 22, 2009, Business Week reported that GlaxoSmithKline "expects to increase annual production of its inhalable anti-viral flu treatment Relenza threefold, to 190 million doses, by year end." "Relenza sales for the three months ended June 30 were $99 million, up from just $5 million in the second quarter of 2008," the report noted. The price of Tamiflu at a middle dose at DrugStore.com on August 26, 2009, was $93 for a packet of ten 75mg capsules. One inhaler of Relenza costs $64 at DrugStore.com. Any good that will come from the swine flu propaganda campaign will accumulate solely with the profits of pharmaceutical industry.
Get articles like this delivered to you FREE in our popular email newsletter Related CounterThink Cartoons:
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Home | About Natural News | Contact Us | Write for Natural News | Media Information | Advertise with Natural News This site is part of the Natural News Network © 2009 All Rights Reserved. Privacy | Terms All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing International, LTD. is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners. |
 |
Email this article to a friend
Share this article on: 
