When word got out that two U.S. drug companies had been working simultaneously on the same new drug for tuberculosis (TIME, March 3), it looked as though the arm of coincidence had been fully extended. Last week the arm stretched a bit more: from Spain came word that the identical drug, hydrazide of isonicotinic acid, has been developed there independently. Moreover, to the Spanish doctors must go credit for trying the drug on human patients a full three months before it was used at Staten Island’s Sea View Hospital.
It was in Bilbao’s Laboratorio Faes that Chemist Juan Socias made the drug (which the Spanish call FSR-3) under the guidance of Physician Luis Romero. Just a year ago, doctors began treating ten TB patients. Their experience was the same as that of U.S. researchers in all ways but one: two patients proved to be allergic to the drug, and its use in their cases had to be stopped. Next came a controlled test in which 20 patients got FSR-3, and ten who thought they were getting it actually got sugar pills. The 20 showed varying degrees of improvement; the ten, despite the power of suggestion, became no better.
Spanish doctors were just as upset as their U.S. colleagues over the premature publicity given the drug and the false hopes that might be aroused. But one thing made them happy: if the drug proves really valuable, Spain can make it cheaply in any amount, and will not have to depend on hard-to-get imports.
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