Chiron responds to FDA announcement

Chiron Corporation last Friday provided the following statement in response to an announcement by U.S. health officials on the current influenza vaccine situation.

Chiron profoundly regrets that it is unable to meet the public health needs for the current influenza season.

The company is committed to resolving the concerns raised by regulatory authorities in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Chiron intends to take appropriate action at its Liverpool facility so that the company may fulfill its commitment to protecting health with a reliable supply of Fluvirin(R) influenza virus vaccine.

The company expects to work closely with both the UK regulatory body, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the principal licensing authority for the Liverpool facility, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in order for Chiron to return to manufacturing Fluvirin for the 2005/2006 flu season.

No doses of Fluvirin were released into any territory for the 2004/2005 flu season.

Chiron remains focused on protecting health, which it continues to do through a wide array of other important vaccines, biopharmaceutical and blood testing products.