Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.health From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: health Mon, Jun 29 1992 Date: Mon, 29 Jun 92 05:27:36 EDT Message-ID: 06-29 0000 DECISIONLINE: Health USA TODAY Update June 29, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network NEW SCHIZOPHRENIA DRUG STUDIED: The drug Clozapine may be a cost-effective treatment for therapy-resistant schizophrenic patients, says a study conducted by Dr. Herbert Y. Meltzer, M.D., of University Hospitals of Cleveland. Meltzer presented his findings at a pyschopharmacological symposium in Nice, France, this weekend. The study has been submitted for publication later this year in the American Journal of Psychiatry. ABORTION RULING EXPECTED: Monday is the Supreme Court's last chance to make a landmark ruling on abortion rights before it adjourns for the summer. The justices are expected to hand down a ruling on Pennsylvania's abortion law. At issue: Provisions on informed consent, a waiting period, and spousal and parental notification. The court could delay a ruling by ordering the case reargued after Election Day. CONGRESS PREPARES FOR DECISION: Congress is ready to strike back quickly if the Supreme Court rules Monday against abortion rights. Supporters promise to bring up this week a bill establishing a nationwide, statutory right to abortion. President Bush is almost certain to veto it. Still, abortion-rights advocates say their strategy is to force a vote on the legislation and a veto right before the November election. WORK ON HEALTH CARE BILL BEGINS: Backed by the House leadership, Rep. Fortney "Pete" Stark, D-Calif., begins work Monday on legislation that would set hospital and doctor fees and provide health insurance for 37 million people lacking it. Democrats want a House vote on the measure this summer. Yet no one, not even key sponsors, is optimistic that anything will change this year. BILL ADDRESSES UNINSURED: A measure now being prepared in the House would expand Medicaid coverage for the poor, create a government insurance program for children - costing parents about $1,250 a year, regardless of their income - and make insurance less costly for small businesses. It will cap the rate of growth and fix a maximum rate hospitals and doctors can charge, says Rep. Fortney Stark, D-Calif. SAVE MONEY ON HEALTH CARE: People can cut health care costs with a new guidebook. "Healthy Savings Now" is a free pamphlet of tips about drug samples and special prescription pricing programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. For more information, call 1-800-962-6677. TOYOBO HALTS DRUG PRODUCTION: Toyobo Ltd., a major maker of synthetic fibers, will stop production of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), a genetically-engineered drug used to dissolve blood clots, a Tokyo newspaper reports. The decision follows a ruling by the Osaka District Court in October 1991 that the company is violating a patent held by California-based Genentech Inc. JAPAN'S SHIONOGI TO ENTER USA: Shionogi & Co., a pharmaceutical company in Japan, will set up subsidiaries in the United States, Netherlands, and Spain to sell capsules for drugs in those countries, a Tokyo newspaper reports. The company has recently bought equipment to produce capsules from Eli Lilly & Co., the paper says. VIAGENE GETS FDA NOD: Viagene Inc. has received Food and Drug Administration approval to begin testing its experimental therapy for human immunodeficiency virus in people. The FDA has already granted the company's investigational new drug application for the therapy, IIIV ImmunoTherapeutic. The drug is a bioengineered virus designed to stimulate production of infection-fighting blood cells. SURROGATE CONTRACTS OUTLAWED: The New York Assembly passed a bill Friday outlawing surrogate mother contracts. The bill, passed by the Senate Thursday, would outlaw payments to surrogates mothers. Despite the bill's passage, it missed lawmakers' self-imposed deadline to end the 1992 session. But a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Ralph Marino, R-Nassau County, said it was too early to pronounce some issues dead. ADA MEETING CONCLUDES: The American Nurses Association Saturday concluded the 58th Biennial convention and Annual House of Delegates meeting in Las Vegas. At the week-long meeting the ADA endorsed a waiting period for certain weapons, voted to oppose discrimination against homosexuals in the military and denounced sexual harassment in the workplace. N.Y. BANS TOBACCO ADS: New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority has decided to ban cigarette advertisements from public transportation. The ban, which will take effect Jan. 1, will include subways, buses, commuter trains and stations. Health Editor: Christopher Goldthwaite. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM