THE GOOD NEWS
-- The National Academy of Sciences says the fda should begin the approval process for RU-486, the so-called French abortion pill. The drug has already been tested in Europe. Besides preventing pregnancy, it may be useful in treating fibroid tumors, endometriosis and even cancer.
-- The FDA has approved tacrine, the first drug shown to have an effect, though limited, on Alzheimer's disease.
-- Doctors have devised an in utero operation for treating myelomeningocele, a birth defect in which the spinal cord protrudes from the spine, leading to paralysis and incontinence. The operation, which uses a skin graft...