“豬流感”提振制藥公司業(yè)績

Some of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies are reaping billions of dollars in extra revenue amid rising global concern about the growing spread of swine flu.

隨著全球?qū)ωi流感蔓延的擔憂日益加劇，一些世界領(lǐng)先制藥公司正因此獲得數(shù)十億美元的額外收入。

Analysts expect to see a significant boost in sales from GlaxoSmithKline, Roche and Sanofi-Aventis when they report first half earnings lifted by government contracts for flu vaccines and antiviral medicines.

分析師預計，葛蘭素史克(GlaxoSmithKline)、羅氏(Roche)和賽諾菲-安萬特(Sanofi-Aventis)的上半年業(yè)績報告將顯示，政府購買流感疫苗和抗病毒藥物的合同，顯著提升這些公司的銷售額。

The fresh sales – on top of strong results in recent days from Novartis of Switzerland and Baxter of the US, which both also produce vaccines – come as the latest tallies show more than 740 people have died from the H1N1 virus, and millions have been affected in countries around the world.

瑞士諾華制藥(Novartis)與美國百特(Baxter)近日公布了強勁業(yè)績。新增銷售公布之際，適逢最新統(tǒng)計數(shù)據(jù)顯示，H1N1病毒已導致逾740人死亡，世界各國有數(shù)百萬人受感染。

GlaxoSmithKline of the UK alone has confirmed that it had already sold 150m doses of a pandemic flu vaccine – equivalent to its normal sales of seasonal flu vaccine – to countries including the UK, the US, France and Belgium, and was gearing up to boost production.

僅英國的葛蘭素史克就證實，已向英國、美國、法國和比利時等國出售了1.5億劑針對正在爆發(fā)的流感病毒的疫苗——相當于該公司季節(jié)性流感疫苗的正常銷量——并正加緊提高產(chǎn)量。

GSK also produces Relenza, an antiviral medicine that reduces the length and severity of the infection, and is preparing to increase manufacturing towards 60m annual doses. The UK alone placed a fresh order for 10m treatments this year.

葛蘭素史克還生產(chǎn)抗病毒藥物樂感清(Relenza)，它可以縮短受感染時間，并減輕病情。該公司準備將樂感清產(chǎn)量提高至每年6000萬劑。今年，僅英國就開出了1000萬劑的新訂單。

One principal beneficiary of the growing fears about the pandemic has been Roche of Switzerland, which sells Tamiflu, the leading antiviral drug, and has seen a sharp rise in orders from private companies as well as governments.

對流感大流行日漸加深的恐懼，令瑞士制藥公司羅氏成為主要受益者。這家出售領(lǐng)先抗病毒藥物達菲(Tamiflu)的公司，接到的私人公司和政府訂單都出現(xiàn)銳增。

A research report last week from JPMorgan, the investment bank, estimated that governments had placed nearly 600m doses of pandemic vaccine and adjuvant – a chemical that boosts its efficacy – worth $4.3bn in sales, and there was potential for a further 342m doses worth $2.6bn ahead.

投行摩根大通(JPMorgan)上周的一份研究報告估計，各國政府已訂購近6億劑針對此次流感病毒的疫苗和佐劑（一種可提高疫苗療效的化學制品），總銷售額達到43億美元，未來可能進一步購買3.42億劑，價值26億美元。

It forecast that fresh antiviral sales could boost sales for GSK and Roche by a further $1.8bn in the developed world, and potentially up to $1.2bn from the developing world.

報告預計，來自抗病毒藥物的新增銷售額，將令葛蘭素史克和羅氏在發(fā)達國家的銷售額進一步提高18億美元，在發(fā)展中國家的銷售額也有望提高至多12億美元。

But there are also uncertainties for the pharmaceutical manufacturers. With demand likely to outstrip supply, and initial production suggesting the yield for the pandemic vaccine is relatively low, they may face difficult choices in determining how much to supply to the different countries seeking orders.

但制藥公司也面臨著不確定性。由于可能出現(xiàn)供不應求的局面，而且初期生產(chǎn)表明，針對此次流感病毒的疫苗產(chǎn)量相對較低，因此，在確定如何向?qū)で笥嗁彽牟煌瑖曳峙涔矫?，制藥公司可能面臨艱難選擇。

They are also under pressure to provide more drugs and vaccines for free, or extremely cheaply, to the developing world.

制藥公司還受到壓力，要求他們把更多藥品和疫苗免費——或以極低價格——提供給發(fā)展中國家。

譯者/章晴