European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 2, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Or i v 4 new Pill being tested in France ends pregnancies safety at an Early stage. So far. It hat rated Little opposition thiere but controversy is inevitable pro Ana anti abortion demonstrator pictured Here were taking part a rallies in Washington . In 198$. A Safe outlet from unwanted pregnancies by Farah Nayeri United press International u 486 May sound to some like the code name Lor a russian spy. But ovoid he next two yeas he cryptic formula promises to become a household name in Europe and Slif up a Small revolution in women s attitudes toward abortion providing As it does a sate outlet from Early unwanted pie Nacios. Ru486stands lorrousseluclaj486, the Laboratory name and molecule number Lor a revolutionary Pill shown to end pregnancy if taken up to today after a missed period it prevents the fertilized egg from implanting itself in the uterus by blocking the action of the hormone Progo Stehone the substance preparing the uterine ii ring for pregnancy. A thirs 48 hours of res intake re 486 triggers menstrual bleeding thai eventually ends the pregnancy. Doctors in France Are calling the Pill the drug of the to Hern re 486 oilers plenty of Hope. Its Only observed Side effect has been heavy bleeding which regular abortion provokes anyway. Meanwhile it eliminates a Host of other complications such As extra physical pain that comes will a Mica abortions. By All expert accounts the drug is a tremendous break through. The Story of re 4b6 begins in 1980, when a biochemist at Roussel Claf labor Alones Georges Teutsch discovered a molecule configuration that could act As an anti progesterone. A doctor at tha Bic Elre Hospital outside pans Etienne emite Baulieu jumped on the discovery and contacted or. Gilbert Chaison Al Bic Elre to supervise tests of Tho drug on consenting women. Chaison an so and univ easily professor began studies in 19b3 on a selected number of non pregnant women alter making sure the product is Safe. He observed that the drug does indeed Havn an Anli hormonal effect. One of Chaison s patients a woman Wilh serious endocrine problems became pregnant and agreed to use the drug to abort three Days after taking the drug her pregnancy was discontinued with no harmful Side effects. The drug. Scho Igon decided cannot be a health Hazard Chaison to exclusively led the medical tests then handed the drug Over to a gynaecologist at Bietre Beatrice Cou inel. To be used on women with Early pregnancies. Out of 100 women testing it 85 aborted. I was Iho first doctor to touch this stresses Chaison who together with Cou met and a Lew other doctors pub Shes a report in the new England journal of Medicine last december announcing thai re 486 appears to be an efficient and Safe agent for termination of Early the reason re 486 causes so few Side effects is thai it leaves the blood Stream after 48 hours and apparently docs not affect Fertility to this Day the drug retains its 85 percent Success rate when taken less than two weeks alter a missed period. It has failed to rid the remaining 15 percent of patients of their pregnancies and they All resorted to clinical abortions afterwards Chaison has incited Little opposition in France since he started the tests the project was approved beforehand by the authoritative comile d the French Modicut Commilles on ethical mailers Ever since he has received a Lew threatening tellers saying abortion is murder from the Church French doctors who would not explain their opposition and anti abortion leagues. Personally i could l care less says the professor dryly. He is not the Only one Many other gynaecologists in France agree that the drug Means Progress Chaison a Plains there Are 90 million births in the world each year and 40 million abortions. In 1985, statistics showed that 200,000 women died while undergoing Abc lion doctors at Roussel pharmaceuticals Are Well aware of the drug s potential worldwide. Roussel affiliates across Western Europe and Scandinavia Are awaiting the tinal word to launch it on their markets. The world health organization is exploring the drug As a Means of population control and oven Iho chinese Are trying it out in a few of their cities. Indeed re 486 offers great Promise As a family planning toot in overpopulated co Unnes such As China and India. Gut the drug cannot be marketed in France or elsewhere ust yet. Al this Point pharmaceutical studies on re 436 to determine dosage and expiration Date Are completed. Sometime Between june and september the month after Pill As it is sometimes called will to submit i de for approval to the French health ministry. The ministry will in turn have Independent doctors and scientists examine Tho formula Only a year or so later will re 486 be ready for use in approved hospitals and health centers. Or. Maurice Ulmann who supervises clinical studies of the drug Al Rousseff is optimistic As to the government s verdict on the Pill. The ministry will examine Iho question on a Scie Lilic basis not on a Tiora basis because abortion 15 a ready Legal in this country he said we Don t know if women Voli be allowed to take Tho Pill a Home Ulmann adds. What is certain i thai Trie drug can Only be administered under sir ice medical supervision and nol purchased Over the counter As easily As a Ujj Only when a series of medical examinations Point to pregnancy will a prescription be issued As or Jean Rene com at Cochin Hospital in Paris says re 486 is Nal a Pill because it is not taken As a Page 16 the stars and stripes tuesday june2, 1987
