A patent question

Ashley, if you don't like the idea of patenting human genes, what do you think of patenting cures for pandemic diseases? The Swiss company that makes Tamiflu, the world's current best hope for treating an avian-flu pandemic, stands to make a fortune from the global demand, but it can't possibly make enough of the vaccine for everybody. The link above is to a Reuters story about an Indian company that wants permission to make its own copycat version. Anyone, of course, can jump in on this, not just Ashley.