Cablegate: Avian Influenza: Japan Weekly Report August 24

VZCZCXRO9392
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB
DE RUEHKO #4853 2360557
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240557Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5710
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 7791
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 7602
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 0359
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 1129
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 8902
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8331
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 004853

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AIAG AMBASSADOR LANGE
DEPT FOR OES/IHA SINGER AND FENDRICK
DEPT FOR EAP/J
USDA PASS TO APHIS
HHS PASS TO CDC
HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER, BHAT AND ELVANDER
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN DENNIS CARROLL

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KFLU KSTH ECON PREL SOCI JA
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: JAPAN WEEKLY REPORT AUGUST 24

REF: A. 05 STATE 153802

B. TOKYO 4525 AND PREVIOUS

1. There were no significant avian influenza (AI)
developments in Japan during the period August 10 to August
24. No human or animal outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza
were reported in Japan during the above period.

-- Company to Begin Clinical Test of AI Antiviral --
2. The Toyama Chemical Corporation beginning in FY2006
will conduct clinical trials on T-705, an antiviral agent
that promises to be effective against types A, B and C of
the influenza virus and possibly against avian influenza.
In March 2006, a research team at Utah State University
reported that T-705 showed effectiveness against the H5N1
strain of the virus in animal studies. Toyama plans to
conduct clinical trials simultaneously in Japan and the
U.S. and hopes to have a product ready for the market in
JFY 2009. The company initially plans to produce enough T-
705 for 30 million doses and generate sales of Yen 36
billion (313 million USD). Toyama will license development
and marketing rights to an overseas producer to help offset
the costs and difficulties of mass production on its own.

DONOVAN

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