Bird flu pandemic won’t result in windfall

MELBOURNE - A bird flu pandemic will not result in a windfall for blood products and vaccine developer CSL Ltd, the group's chief executive said yesterday.

Brian McNamee said CSL had begun human trials of a prototype vaccine which it hoped to complete by the end of the year and have the data by February.

But speaking on the ABC's Inside Business yesterday, Mr McNamee said the vaccine would not mean a flood of money pouring in.

"We have already agreed with the Commonwealth that this isn't the issue for us," Mr McNamee said.

"Of course, we will sell a lot more doses, but it's not going to be a windfall gain that some are wrongly anticipating.

"We have a responsibility to the Australian public and our regional partners and others to actually get the vaccine out there."

He said the results of the trials, being carried out in Melbourne and Adelaide, will reveal whether to move on to a further study and then registration.

"It's certainly many, many months off but clearly we would like, within 12 months, to have completed the program," Mr McNamee said.

"Now, that relies on this initial study being somewhat positive -- we may have to do further work."

- AAP