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From: jhh@ihldt.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Aspartame might cause brain damage - text of article
Message-ID: <1767@ihldt.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-Jul-83 16:28:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihldt.1767
Posted: Thu Jul  7 16:28:16 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 8-Jul-83 05:46:12 EDT
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Organization: BTL Naperville, Il.
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Apparently, the FDA was ready to approve aspartame, and
Dr. Wurtman told the FDA that he would have more conclusive
evidence shortly.  This was in June, and did cause the
FDA to withhold approval.  It also caused the president of
Searle, along with a few other hot shots to visit and pressure
Searle.  Searle has very few drug patents on products,
and is in danger of generic drugs taking their sales.

Dr. Wurtman originally told the FDA some preliminary results
in May, but they did not find them conclusive.  He sent
them a telegram the night before the original approval date,
and they did postpone the approval of Soft Drink usage.
The early results were that aspartame could penetrate
the blood/brain barrier, something that Searle apparently
thought would not happen.

The above statements were given from my recollection of an
article in the Chicago Tribune Business Section.

			John Haller