X-Message-Number: 19224 From: "John de Rivaz" <> Subject: FDA Rejects Medication That Attacks Cold Viruses Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 12:11:39 +0100 From Infobeat: >>> FDA Rejects Medication That Attacks Cold Viruses: The quest for a cure to the common cold suffered a setback Wednesday when the Food and Drug Administration refused to approve what would have been the first prescription medication for the 1 billion cases of sniffles that Americans suffer each year. The drug, Pleconaril, brand-name Picovir, directly attacks the viruses that cause colds as opposed to over-the-counter drugs that just treat symptoms. The FDA said the drug's potential side effects - most notably, cutting the effectiveness of birth control pills - make it unacceptable to treat what is mostly a nuisance illness rather than a serious medical condition. <<< What they have missed, or preferred not to mention to the US electorate, is the fact that colds **do** kill some elderly people. If a virus killing drug was used by the public in general, surely the spread of viruses would be reduced and therefore less older people contaminated with them. -- Sincerely, John de Rivaz: http://www.deRivaz.com : http://www.AlecHarleyReeves.com http://www.longevity-report.com : http://www.autopsychoice.com : http://www.cryonics-europe.org http://www.porthtowan.com Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=19224