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  • Title: Hoechst reportedly stalls RU-486 in U.S.
    Journal: Sun; 1994 May 16; ():3A. PubMed ID: 12318854.
    Abstract:
    President Clinton's administration would like RU-486 to be widely available in the US, but its manufacturer has been procrastinating about introducing RU-486 in the US. President Clinton lifted the ban on it shortly after ascending to the presidency. After 13 months of negotiations, the parent company of Roussel Uclaf, Hoechst, blocked efforts. It appears to be thwarting Ru-486's manufacture in the US because it fears that antiabortion groups will boycott its other products (textiles, rug fibers, and drugs for diabetics and heart patients). Its annual sales in the US are $7 billion. In April, 1993, Roussel Uclaf said that it would transfer its patent to the Population Council. The Council agreed to perform the clinical trials required to obtain US Food and Drug Administration approval and to find a domestic manufacturer to produce RU-486. Before handing the patent over to the Population Council, Hoechst wants protection from potential product liability or losses from antiabortion protests. US Health and Human Services officials have been trying to promote progress in the negotiations between the Population Council and Hoechst. A US member of Congress has set up a subcommittee hearing to look into the delays, specifically Hoechst's role in the delays. Women's groups want US women to have access to an alternative to surgical abortion. If progress is not made soon, they intend to push the government to revoke Roussel Uclaf's patent or support development of a similar drug. They stress that Hoechst's actions, be they for economic or political reasons, have slowed medical research and have hurt women's well being. RU-486 can also be used to treat breast cancer, some brain tumors, and other diseases.
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