Tamiflu Partners Ink Treaty

No sooner can you say "H5N1" than Gilead (GILD Quote) and Roche show that humanity's propensity for self-preservation can foster cooperation against a common foe, feathered or otherwise.

The two companies have agreed to set aside their differences over the flu drug Tamiflu and get along, ending their manufacturing dispute before a pandemic has a chance to sweep the planet and lead to something frighteningly akin to a certain feature film starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.

Tamiflu, developed by Gilead and licensed to Roche, has recently garnered attention as the most promising treatment in the event that a mutant human-to-human strain of the avian flu breaks out. The world's governments have been looking to stockpile Tamiflu, as well as Biota's Relenza, a flu drug marketed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK Quote), to treat their citizens if it becomes necessary. ...