Cardinal Health has signed agreements to manufacture and package Tamiflu for Swiss drugmaker Roche to help meet current and future demands for the influenza medicine, which is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a frontline treatment against a potential pandemic avian flu outbreak.

Under the terms of the manufacturing agreement, Cardinal Health will manufacture 75-mg hard gelatin capsules of the drug on behalf of Roche at one of Cardinal Health's manufacturing sites in Europe. The companies also have arrangements in place for Tamiflu packaging and printed insert production at facilities in the U.S.

Roche has been working closely with WHO and national governments to ensure governments are aware of the importance of stockpiling antivirals before a pandemic occurs. Roche has received and fulfilled pandemic orders for Tamiflu from more than 75 countries worldwide.