by Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research, April 28, 2009
The Swine Flu scare has boosted the stock market values of Big Pharma. Following initial reports from Mexico on the influenza outbreak, the demand for anti-flu drugs has skyrocketed.
Supported by media disinformation, an atmosphere of fear and intimidation has unfolded. Health “emergencies” have been declared in various parts of the US.
The most sought after influenza drugs are Tamiflu and Relenza. Treatment courses by the US government have been released from the national stockpile “to make sure health care providers are ready for any escalation in cases.”
Tamiflu is produced by the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Hoffman-La Roche on behalf of a US based biotech company Gilead Sciences, Inc. While the drug is produced by Roche, it was developed by Gilead Sciences Inc. which owns the intellectual property rights.
Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was one of the major shareholders of Gilead Sciences. In 1997, Rumsfeld was appointed Chairman of Gilead Sciences, Inc., a position which he held until becoming Secretary of Defence in the Bush administration in 2001. Rumsfeld was on the Board of Directors from the establishment of Gilead in 1987.
Fortune Magazine in a report published at the height of 2005 bird flu crisis, described Gilead as one of the most politically connected companies in the biotech industry. Rumsfeld’s interests and/or holdings in Gilead following his resignation in 2006 are not known.
Stock Values
The share price of Gilead on the NYSE has risen substantially since the announcement of the Mexican swine flu outbreak (see graph):
“The U.S. government released a quarter of its stockpiles of the drugs after declaring a national health emergency with 40 laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu. Seven of those cases are in California, 28 in New York City, two each in Texas and Kansas, and one in Ohio.
Mexico raised the suspected death toll from its outbreak to 149 people — 20 of those confirmed as swine flu — and cancelled all schools until May 6. Nearly 2,000 people there have been hospitalized with serious cases of pneumonia.
Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines active against influenza viruses, including swine influenza viruses, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Swine influenza A viruses detected in the United States and Mexico appear resistant to two antiviral drugs — amantadine and rimantadine — but laboratory tests indicate the viruses are sensitive to Tamiflu, also known as oseltamivir, and Relenza, which is known as zanamivir.
The Tamiflu oral antiviral, approved in the U.S. to treat and prevent influenza A and B virus infection in people age one or older, is sold by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., which pays sales-related royalties to Gilead. Roche said it has 3 million packages of Tamiflu on standby — part of 5 million treatments donated to the U.N. health agency in 2006 — and can deliver the drug anywhere within 24 hours.” (San Francisco Business Times, 27 April 2009)
© Copyright Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, 2009
The url address of this article is: www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=13392
see
BBC NEWS | Americas | Swine flu virus kills child in US
Ron Paul on the Recent Swine Flu Scare
Washington’s Blog: Industrial Hog Farming Is Just Like Wall Street
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This is also why Big Pharma , who have had the FDA in their service have been attempting to outlaw the use of herbs, plant extracts. While Monsanto is engineering food in its attempts to control the food supply, while animals are being tortured for the same Pharma companies, while the use of hemp for textiles is blocked by Down Jones, while Tesla’s inventions are as dead as he is, while the electric car was killed and not being resurrected. While….”Clean Coal” is still being touted as anything but the oxymoron that it is….while The White House is being powered with other than solar energy….while the infrastructure of America is not being rebuilt….while taxpayers money goes to a bunch of fat bankers who are incapable of distributing wealth to any but themselves…..while the NSA flies over The Statue of Liberty for a “photo op” causing panic, and telling even The President of The so called United States….”You have no power!” ….. ARGGGGGGH!
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or alternatively fort deitrick in maryland usa is at it again. Sars dint go far enuf for them and neither did bird flu.Dont continue to be sucked in guys. The big agenda by the few ruling families is for 90% poulation reduction. germ warfare is alive and well. If you are into alternative health you would know of effective cancer and other disease treatments going back to the early 1900″s. This idea of pigs flying and popping up almost simultaneously all over the world is a bit too obvious dont you think. And anyone reading this please dont reply if you are gonna vilify and label me conspiracy theorist. I’m just chasing the truth like anyone else passionate about the human race which has taken me down the rabbit hole on many alarming but revealing journeys.It is time to wake up everybody…
All I can say is plants have some serious innovations people might look into when faced with infections.
I never get sick, but had two major infections nevertheless in recent life, Lyme disease (awefull), and a flu-lung infection this last winter that had me drowning in fluid like waterboarding (not a good way to go).
The first one, people need to look int Allicin (basically Garlic, but not your typical spice) and Cats Claw (Una de Gato, from Peru).
The second, people could look into extract of mushrooms, mostly Reishi, yielding something called ‘beta-glucans’.
These are not big pharma, and boost immunity bigtime.
Good point, Natureboy. Many plants have medicinal value to humans. In my garden this year I’m planting several different kinds of flowers/herbs with medicinal value. I would encourage others to look into this.
Once again, however, the reasons for all these cross-species viruses is because people are raising animals for slaughter.
It will likely come out in force that this was caused by a horrific trans-national swine-factory: http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/138798/the_swine_flu_crisis_lays_bare_the_meat_industry%27s_monstrous_power/
Why are we getting infections from Pigs & Birds? perhaps because Pigs & Birds are PEOPLE TOO!
Apparently they also get our flu strains as well.
Thanks for the link. I added another link that talks about big Agri-farming/factory farming at the end of the post.
Very important link you posted.
The single comment claims there’s no proof this came from a hog farm. POPPYCOCK! All these flu’s, every year, coming from Asia, are always linked to their love of roast ducks and roast porks, and raising them together, near people.
If people knew the holocaust caused by flu every year, and the danger of a catastrophic mutation (it’s a virus, hardly has a brain, yet very good at reproducing and changing, exploiting options to find a niche), perhaps they’d go back to farming beans, squashes and garlic, and leaving the animals alone.
Just another reason to please leave the animals alone, and stop the horror– if only out of self-interest. There is so much wrong with eating these animals, and yet it’s amerigoons who invented this ‘fast food’ meat nightmare.
Link the links, people!
No argument from me on this, Natureboy, I concur.
The horrors of the factory farming in our country need to be better known. I think if more people knew how the animals are treated before they turn into one’s dinner, maybe they would choose to eat fruits, vegetables and nuts, etc.
I’m not here to promote anything, but immunity is something plants have been working on for hundreds of millions of years.
Especially mushrooms and fungi (who don’t have the luxury of running from trouble, and live in dank microbe-ridden situations).
A little bird told me about this stuff, suggest people look into it.
Nothing personal, Natureboy, but I don’t like links to commercial sites selling stuff, especially if I don’t know anything about the product and cannot endorse it. If anyone is interested, they can do a search and see what comes up and decide for themselves.
Staying healthy is always a good idea, keeping your immune system up, etc. What’s interesting is that many young people are getting this flu. What’s also interesting is that it isn’t typically the flu season right now. I have lots of questions but little info is available yet and who are we to believe?