Roche is currently holding talks with the World Health Organisation, which could result in the Swiss pharmaceutical giant donating up to 1 million doses of its Tamiflu (oseltamivir) influenza drug, according to Industry reports.

Although no-one from the firm was available for comment at the time of going to press, the Financial Times claims that the WHO is building a stockpile for use in the event of a flu pandemic. It adds that Roche has already donated 120,000 Tamiflu courses to the organisation.

Roche recently revealed that UK’s Department of Health was stockpiling 14.6 million doses of Tamiflu in a bid to protect against a potential bird flu pandemic [[01/03/05e]].