VICTORIA BEGINS TESTS OF EUROPEAN DRUG TREATMENTS

Drug treatments used to fight heroin addiction in Europe are now available
in Victoria as part of a trial by Turning Point, a leading drug research
and treatment centre.

The trials of the drugs buprenorphine and LAAM have begun amid criticism
that Australia is slow to introduce internationally successful alternative
drug therapies.

A senior medical officer at Turning Point, Dr Nick Lintzeris, said
buprenorphine was a ``gateway drug'' that blocked heroin cravings and
helped alleviate symptoms of withdrawal.

It can also be used like methadone as a substitute for heroin, but needs to
be taken only every two days. Methadone is taken daily and is more addictive.

Buprenorphine was first tested in France in 1988 and since being registered
there in 1995 more than 40,000 people have taken it. The drug is available
in Britain and registration is pending in the United States. LAAM is even
more long-acting, being taken every two to three days, and is registered in
the US and Europe.

Buprenorphine, LAAM, and methadone are chemically similar to heroin - all
opioids - but the treatment drugs do not cause the same euphoric feeling as
heroin.

The new treatments are the first heroin alternatives to be made available
to Victorian addicts since methadone was introduced in 1972. Although
methadone is regarded as a highly effective treatment for older, long-term
heroin addicts, some people cannot physically tolerate the drug.

``By offering a choice, we hope that will encourage more people into
treatment,'' Dr Lintzeris said.

The Victorian trials are among 10 being conducted nationally. About 1500
Victorian addicts will take part.

Dr Gabriele Bammer, senior fellow at the National Centre for Epidemiology,
Population and Health, said the trials were welcome, but until recently
there had been no money or interest in trying new treatments in Australia.
``We've been way, way, way behind ... We could be in a completely different
position now in terms of having lots of treatment options, '' she said.

Dr John Sherman, a St Kilda GP who has worked with heroin users for 15
years, said there was an urgent need for new therapies to help the growing
number of users for whom existing treatments were ineffective.

He said Victoria led the world in the mid-1980s when it permitted doctors
to prescribe methadone to addicts.

``We got out of the blocks early and now we're overtaken because for
political reasons we are thwarted at using new and exciting treatments that
are available overseas,'' Dr Sherman said.

The Turning Point trials will compare the effect of alternative treatments
with existing programs. The centre is looking to recruit heroin addicts for
the trials. Half the recruits will be given the new drugs while half will
use existing therapies.

Later in the year another drug, slow-release oral morphine, will be tested
on Victorian heroin users. It is already available in Australia to treat
pain, but has not been officially tested as a heroin substitute.

Heroin or methadone users interested in participating in the trials should
telephone Turning Point on 9254 8050