Wang-Kin Chiu and Yui Yip Lau
Primary manufacturing is one of the key components in a standard pharmaceutical supply chain. The primary manufacturing site is responsible for the synthesis of the active ingredient of a drug. In the manufacture or design of new synthetic routes of a drug, the logistics cost, availability of starting materials, number of steps and overall yield are critical factors to be taken into account. In view of the importance of oseltamivir phosphate (Tamiflu) in treatment of influenza, related issues and development in pharmaceutical industry should be addressed and updated. In this paper, we will (1) highlight the concepts of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in pharmaceutical industry; (2) describe the recent advance in the synthetic chemistry of Tamiflu, focusing on the new approaches based on inexpensive starting materials. This paper should be of interest to health care study and is expected to provide insights for the drug and supply chain management industry.
