PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLER PULLED FROM SHELVES AFTER 4 DEATHS

NEW YORK -- The potent painkiller Duract was recalled by the manufacturer
yesterday after four people who had been taking it died, and eight others
required liver transplants.

All but one of the patients had been using Duract for longer than the
government-recommended maximum of 10 days, Wyeth-Ayerst said. The person
who used it for a shorter time already had significant liver disease.

The company concluded that keeping the product on the market with a
stronger warning against using it for more than 10 days would not be
feasible or effective.

Doctors have written 2.5 million prescriptions for Duract since it hit the
market in July 1997 as an alternative to narcotics for short-term pain
relief after surgery and for other acute pain. Duract is not intended for
arthritis or other chronic pain.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Duract for use up to 10 days, but
doctors are free to prescribe it for longer periods. The agency warned that
the drug can lead to potentially fatal liver damage in patients who use it
for longer than 10 days.

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)