Meanwhile, researchers with no stake in the abortion debate say mifepristone, with its hormone-blocking activities, could possibly have a wide range of other uses. In a small study coming out Sept. 1 in the journal Biological Psychiatry, researchers gave the drug to 30 patients with psychotic depression. After just one week, those receiving the higher doses showed decreases of as much as 30 to 50 percent in depression and psychosis. “This is an ugly disorder with a high suicide rate,” says Dr. Joseph Belanoff, CEO of Corcept Therapeutics and lead author of the study. “There is no FDA-approved drug for it.” Preliminary studies also suggest that mifepristone may help treat uterine fibroids, endometriosis, certain breast and ovarian cancers and even one type of brain tumor–not to mention its potential as a standard daily contraceptive. Says Dr. Lois Ramondetta of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, who is studying mifepristone for recurrent endometrial cancer, “Its potential benefits could make it an important drug for reproductive health.” How’s that for irony?
