THE HEALTH minister of Austria鈥檚 Socialist Party, Harald Ettl, has become
embroiled in a pre-election storm after authorising an import licence for
the controversial abortion pill, RU486. The country鈥檚 parliamentary polls
take place this Sunday.
Church leaders have called on the governing coalition鈥檚 Conservative
Party to oppose Ettl鈥檚 decision.
But the Conservatives, who hope to renew the coalition with the socialists,
maintain that this should not be used as an election issue.
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The mobilisation of right-wing Catholic groups against the new pill
has led Hoechst, the parent company of Roussel-Uclaf, which makes the drug,
to suspend the sale of RU486 in Austria.
The company fears a boycott of its other products.
Roussel-Uclaf withdrew the drug in France in 1988 under similar pressure,
but put it back on the market after persuasion from the French government.
In Britain, Roussel-Uclaf has now finally applied to the Medicines Control
Agency for a product licence on the drug.
The parent company in France gave its British subsidiary permission
to apply earlier this summer. The drug could be available in as little as
18 months.