A Star Is Born

A new drug, like a new movie star, is nurtured with care. It is "discovered" (often by a noncommercial scientist); it wins a contract with a drug manufacturer, who usually changes its name. It gets an advance buildup in medical and drug trade journals. At last, when ready to meet the public, it is launched on its career with a splash of publicity.

The new drug, Kutrol,* launched last week by Parke, Davis & Co. (the M-G-M of Pharmaceuticals) as a cure for peptic (stomach) ulcers, has passed through all these stages. It was developed by Dr. David J. Sandweiss of Harper Hospital, Detroit, who had noted that pregnancy, for some unknown reason, gives almost certain relief to women with peptic ulcers (TIME, Aug. 15, 1949). Since 80% of all ulcer sufferers are men, who cannot benefit from pregnancy, Dr. Sandweiss prepared an extract of the urine of pregnant mares. He named it "anthelone" (Greek for anti-ulcer), and made a hopeful but guarded report.

The young druglet was signed by Parke, Davis, refined, improved, renamed, fitted for the market. When its great moment came last week, great newspapers told about it. Four Kutrol Kapseals (capsules) a day, said Parke, Davis, will keep peptic ulcers away. Cost: 50-c- a capsule.

Parke, Davis, in its publicity release, tells how the new drug was used on 23 ulcer patients who had not responded to conventional treatment. Twenty-two of them were wholly free of ulcer craters in three to six weeks. The 23rd responded too, but relapsed after discontinuing the pills. The proof is still thin, even for a newcomer drug. Kutrol will not win lasting pharmaceutical stardom until it has scored many more hits in the stomachs of ulcermen.

*The capital letter means that the name has been copyrighted to protect good will created by advertising.

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