He said ITRI has applied for patents for the three substitutes.
Tamiflu is made from shikimic acid, an extract from bajiao which is grown in China. Three grams of bajiao can yield 2g of shikimic acid.
As many countries are stockpiling Tamiflu, China is facing a shortage of bajiao, a spice commonly used in Chinese cooking.
Taiwan claims it can produce its own copy of Tamiflu and is negotiating with US pharmaceutical company Gilead Science, the inventor of Tamilfu, on acquiring a sub-license to make Tamiflu.
The Department of Health's first consultation with Gilead failed last week and a second talk has been scheduled for Friday.
If Gilead refuses to release its license, the Institute of Intellectual Property (IPO) will grant "compulsory licensing" for mass production of Tamiflu and will ask the manufacturers to compensate Gilead for its losses.
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Bird flu pandemic could cost China up to US$87bn
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