Vietnam is expected to put locally-made antiviral drug to treat A/H1N1 and H5N1 influenza on sale in early 2010 at a price being 4.5 times lower than that of the current medication - Tamiflu.

The information has been confirmed by the Hanoi University of Pharmacy on Nov. 29 after it announced that research work on the stability of and the production process for the antiviral drug with a scientific name of Arbidol (Fludon H1) had been completed.

Researches show that Arbidol is more effective and has a lower rate of drug resistance than some other currently imported drugs to treat these strains of flu, said Nguyen Hai Nam , Head of the university’s Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department.

The new drug will be used for preventive treatment among both adults and children in many cases. Once being licensed by the Health Ministry, it will be the first locally-made medicine that is capable of acting against A/H1N1 and H5N1 strains of virus as well as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has just confirmed two more deaths of A/H1N1 flu in Quang Ninh and Khanh Hoa provinces, bringing the country’s total number of deaths from the disease to 44. So far, the country has reported 10,891 infection cases./.