By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

Roche Korea, the importer and distributor of the antiviral drug Tamiflu in Korea, is grappling with allegations that it went outside legitimate channels to sell its drugs for influenza A (H1N1) to several multinational companies, using faked mass prescriptions.

Prosecutors and health officials raided its headquarters office Wednesday to look for evidence of such illegal transactions.

Tamiflu requires a doctor's prescription and monitoring for use. Violations of the rule are subject to legal and administrative punishment.

Investigators at the Seoul Central Public Prosecutors' Office and the Korea Food and Drug Administration confiscated sales records Wednesday, examining them to determine whether the company asked several hospitals to prescribe Tamiflu without seeing patients.

It allegedly used the prescriptions in buying a total of 27,000 capsules at several pharmacies, including one in Seodaemun, and selling them to HSBC Korea and global pharmaceutical company Norvatis Korea, among others.

Kim Young-kyoon, head of the KFDA investigation team, said that they are looking into records to see why the ``client'' firms tried to stock up on the drugs without letting their workers visit hospitals for checkups. ``There are allegations that the stockpile was for workers and their families. I guess they were anxious due to the fast spread of the influenza and wanted some security,'' he said.

The prosecution has checked with hospitals, clinics and drugstores that have allegedly sold the drug. The investigative body is tracking down other companies involved in the illegal sale.

Tamiflu was reported to be tight in supply since the flu outbreak in May. Roche Korea has so far provided 12.2 million doses of Tamiflu to the government, which is sold for 1,400 won per five-day course to flu patients at drugstores nationwide.

Roche Korea said, "Roche is fully collaborating with Korea on this matter and is committed to support pandemic stockpiling activities in Korea.
"Roche has provided significant quantities of Tamiflu to the South Korean government, with additional supplies forthcoming. Roche is fully supporting South Korea and the people of South Korea in their pandemic preparations."

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr