NEW YORK, NY October 20, 2005 —Senator Charles Schumer has helped broker a deal to expand production of an avian-flu-fighting drug. WNYC's Fred Mogul has more.

The Swiss company Roche Pharmaceuticals produces Tamiflu, one of the only drugs proven to cure the H5N1 strain of avian flu doctors believe could start a pandemic.

There is a limited supply of Tamiflu, and Roche had said expanding its manufacturing capacity would take years. But after a meeting today with Senator Schumer and Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, company officials said they would begin discussions with generic drug makers to increase production.

The senators said U.S. and international health authorities would play a role in determining which companies get the license from Roche. Some health experts have cautioned that Tamiflu should not be considered a cure-all. Published reports last week identified a strain of H5N1 that resists treatment with the drug. For WNYC, I'm Fred Mogul.