HEROIN TREATMENT TEST GETS PASS MARK BUT NO MIRACLE

THE first public hospital trial of the controversial Naltrexone heroin
treatment in Australia has produced mixed results with only 30 per cent of
patients emerging drug-free.

And out of the 31 methadone and heroin addicts involved, one died and two
disappeared.

The pilot program at Sydney University is one of two the State Government
is running as part of moves to determine clinical standards and safety
guidelines for the use of the drug, claimed in some quarters to be a
"miracle cure".

Released in parliament by Health Minister Andrew Refshauge, the results
showed the drug was more successful in treating methadone users than heroin
users.

Of the 10 heroin addicts involved, after three months five were off heroin
but had moved to methadone.

Two were free of heroin and on a Naltrexone maintenance program and one was
free of illicit drugs.

Five of the patients returned to heroin use, two were using Naltrexone with
"occasional lapses" and one patient had died.

Of the 15 methadone users, six were off drugs after a month, three remained
on methadone, four had relapsed to heroin and two had disappeared.

Dr Refshauge said the results were encouraging and compared favourably with
other drug treatments being used.

But they also proved Naltrexone was not the wonder drug claimed by some
addicts and doctors.

"As suspected, Naltrexone is not a miracle cure," he told parliament.

"But there are encouraging results that suggest Naltrexone has an important
role to play."

The data from the preliminary trial will be assessed along with the results
of another trial, at Westmead.

Checked-by: Joel W. Johnson