Abstract The development of the pharmaceutical drug RU486 by French company Groupe Roussel UCLAF in 1998 sparked a wave of controversy as a result of its implications in the early termination of pregnancy. This paper examines the major problems that the makers of "RU 486" faced in obtaining approval for public use and considers the opportunities available for the pharmaceutical giant. In addition, a brief discussion of the stigma surrounding abortion is presented to explain why problems exist with the development of such drugs. Finally, a needs assessment is identified and subsequent solutions are presented to the RU 486 dilemma.
From the Paper "Perhaps the first step in establishing solutions to the population crisis is to identify the long-term effects of such drugs as RU 486 in order to make them more attractive to the regulators of the pharmaceutical industry, including the FDA and equivalent bodies in other countries. As soon as these effects have been identified, it will likely be more feasible for such governing bodies to determine if these drugs are an effective alternative for the general public. Furthermore, pharmaceutical firms must continue to develop groundbreaking research and techniques that will assist in predicting fertility and other outcomes related to the human condition, regardless of the pressure placed on them by interest groups. Finally, governing bodies and pharmaceuticals must work together in developing methods that will provide the general public with many options for controlling their own fertility, including but not limited to RU 486 and other contraceptive methods."
Abstract A review of the purpose of RU486 with which a steroid hormone similar to naturally occurring progesterone is therapeutically applied to induce an abortion. This paper looks at the controversy surrounding this drug and the manner in which it could be used. The paper also examines the reasons why it is administrated and the potential side-effects.
From the Paper "In 1980, a French scientist, Dr. Etienne-Emile Baulieu made medical history. His landmark discovery would become almost as monumental in the field of human reproductive control as the hormonal oral contraceptive was decades earlier. Dr. Baulieu found that a steroid hormone similar to naturally occurring progesterone could be therapeutically applied to induce an abortion. This synthetic hormone, known as mifepristone, was thoroughly researched by the French pharmaceutical company Roussel-Uclaf. Mifepristone, despite being chemically similar to progesterone, actually acts to block the action of that hormone. Thus, RU 486 is known as an ?antiprogestin,? or a progesterone antagonist, because it counteracts the effects of progesterone. RU 486 binds to progesterone receptors in the woman's uterus, blocking the normal functions of the hormone in establishing and maintaining a pregnancy. As the drug interacts with the progesterone receptors, the lining of the uterus sheds as it does in menstruation, causing bleeding and eventual abortion. Moreover, RU 486 dilates the cervix and induces contractions, which help to dislodge the embryo. However, RU 486 must be combined with a dose of prostaglandin for the abortion to be complete; the action for the mifepristone itself is not enough. Since clinical trials of RU 486 have been conducted by scientists in over twenty countries, and the drug has been approved in many parts of Europe and in the United States, RU 486 can be rightly considered a medical breakthrough."
