first given in the early 1950's to Lmandelonitrile-jS-glucuronic acid—a compound that has a cyanide-containing mandelonitrile linked to a glucose unit. In the early 1960's the name became used for mandelonitrile-/?-gentiobioside, which has a chain of two glucose units joined to the mandelonitrile. This second compound, also called amygdalin, is the one that has been used in all of the National Cancer Institute studies of Laetrile. To make things more complicated, amygdalin exists in two isomeric forms, which may behave differently in biological systems. Laetrile is supposed to work by reaction with the enzyme ^-glucosidase to release cyanide that kills cancer cells. Normal cells are said to be protected by an enzyme called rhodanese, which they contain and cancer cells don't, that detoxifies cyanide by converting it to thiocyanate. According to FDA, such a difference between cancerous and noncancerous cells has never been demonstrated. Cyanide released by such a mechanism would diffuse rapidly and thus poison surrounding normal cells, FDA claims, and the /3-glucosidase present in animal cells is present in too small an amount to make such a mechanism effective. •
Congress moves further to delay saccharin ban Congressional efforts to block a proposed federal ban on saccharin advanced another step last week when House and Senate panels adopted bills to prevent the Food & Drug Administration from acting against the artificial sweetener for 18 months. Both bills also would commission the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to look into some of the fundamental issues surrounding the testing of food additives. Both the House and Senate versions, for example, seek some sort of determination by NAS of the utility of animal tests to predict the human toxicity and carcinogenicity of food additives such as saccharin. In addition, Congress wants to know whether risk and benefit decisions are possible in regulatory actions concerning food additives of questionable safety, but potential benefit. The House bill (H.R. 7753), introduced by Rep. Paul C. Rogers (D.Fla.) with bipartisan support, was adopted by Rogers' health subcommittee with only minor changes by a vote of 9 to 3. In the bill markup, Rogers was able to muster sufficient votes to brush aside attempts by saccharin critics on the subcommittee
to alter the bill with amendments. One such proposal, introduced by Rep. Richard L. Ottinger (D.-N.Y.), would have lifted the ban moratorium if an acceptable substitute for saccharin was developed during the 18-month period. The bill now goes to the Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee for consideration. On the Senate side similar legislation (S. 1750) already has been approved by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's (D.-Mass.) health subcommittee with only minor changes. Last week the full Senate Committee on Human Resources met to consider the bill, and approved it by a vote of 11 to 3. Introduced by Kennedy, the bill will require a conspicuous label on all products containing saccharin— "Warning: this product contains saccharin, which causes cancer in animals. Use of this product may increase your risk of developing cancer." The House version does not require labeling of saccharin-containing products but gives FDA the authority to do so. The Senate bill next must go to the Senate Commerce Committee for review since the bill requires that both print and electronic advertising messages contain disclaimers about saccharin safety. Both bills probably will reach the House and Senate floors before Congress goes into summer recess at the end of this month. But final passage of any saccharin legislation may have to wait until early fall because differences between the House and Senate versions will have to be worked out in a conference committee. •
Nonprescription drug growth pegged at 4.7% Sales of proprietary and ethically promoted nonprescription medications will grow at about 4.7% per year through 1981, measured in constant dollars. This is the conclusion of the study "Nonprescription Drugs 1977," performed by Charles H. Kline & Co. of Fairfield, N.J. The study also finds that U.S. consumers spent $2.5 billion at the manufacturers' level in 1976 for vitamins, antacids, cold tablets, internal analgesics, and other over-thecounter (OTC) medications. The study indicates that future growth of the industry is clouded by the Food & Drug Administration's review of all OTC drugs. However, despite the FDA review, which will study efficacy, safety, and labeling of 17 product categories, opportunities for new products and growth of existing medications will continue.
Kline forecasts that several product groups will exceed the average growth of 4.7%. Vitamins, hematinics, and weight control products will have an average annual increase of about 7%---from $650 million in 1976 to about $912 million for 1981. The growth of this group is primarily due to increased consumer awareness of dietary supplements, particularly multivitamins, and the desire to maintain proper weight. The study also sees substantial growth in feminine products, contact lens solutions, and throat lozenges, troches, and gums. The Kline report says that nonprescription drug growth will be aided by several factors, including the growth of the over-65 p o p u l a t i o n important consumers of laxatives, vitamins, internal analgesics, and sleeping aids; the broadening of distribution to food stores and mass merchandisers; and the high cost of physician services, which will cause increased self-medication. Although more than 375 manufacturers supply the OTC market, the study finds that the market is dominated by 28 companies, which account for 75% of domestic sales of nonprescription drugs. The 10 largest manufacturers, each with sales of more than $70 million, account for 50% of total sales. D
New high-grade motor oil contains graphite This week Atlantic Richfield Co. begins marketing a new high-performance motor oil formulated with graphite. The multiviscosity lubricant, called ARCOgraphite, both reduces engine wear and improves fuel economy, according to company studies. It now becomes the company's premium-quality lubricant. The new product is petroleumbased and thus is unlike synthetic lubricants such as that developed by Mobil Oil (C&EN, Sept. 15, 1975, page 6). The synthetic oils, which must be made chemically instead of by simpler refinement processes, cost more than either conventional lubricants or the new graphite-containing product. Typically, the synthetic oils cost nearly $4.00 per quart compared to $1.25 for conventional lubricants and the suggested introductory $1.55 for Atlantic Richfield's new oil. The synthetic lubricants, however, need not be changed so often as other oils —a factor that can cut their effective cost by nearly half. Like the synthetic oils, the graphite-containing oil offers performance advantages over conventional oils. July 18. 1977 C&EN
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For instance, in tests conducted by Atlantic Richfield scientists, the graphite-containing lubricant improved gas mileage up to 8.7%, with 4.8% the average for a fleet of variously sized cars. Such improvements are attributed to decreased friction drag in moving parts of the cars' engine. According to company studies, these effects aren't immediate, taking several "tankfuls of gas" after an oil change before being realized. According to company sources, there's no problem in switching from the graphite-fortified oil to other lubricants. They add, however, that best results come from using just the graphite oil in the crankcase. The graphite in the oil turns it a deep black, distinguishing it from the amber color of many conventional oils. The graphite is being supplied to Atlantic Richfield by an unidentified contractor that also has developed the grinding technology to make the graphite particles fine enough to stay in suspension. Though part of the success comes from keeping the particles in the submicron range, the real key is advances made in dispersal chemistry, says one company spokesman. Details of the procedures, however, remain proprietary. •
OSTP weathers White House reorganization The White House Office of Science & Technology Policy emerges unscathed and probably enhanced in President Carter's reorganization of the White House. Although the details had not been spelled out as C&EN went to press, some of the outlines were traced to C&EN by OSTP staffer Phillip Smith. OSTP probably will remain at its projected compact level of 15 professional staff persons. There was some talk of its being diluted through the transfer of some individuals to OSTP from the Office of Telecommunications Policy, whose function is being transferred to the Commerce Department. Now, however, OSTP will remain an agency strictly attuned to science policy and issues around it. "The principal recommendation," Smith says, "has to do with the decision process. There will be more formalistic analysis of domestic policy. We have talked a lot about how to proceed with that function." To test that function, Smith says OSTP probably will begin an assessment of mineral policy which Carter says he specifically wants done. The ideal will be to obtain some clear idea of what the President himself is 6
C&EN July 18, 1977
thinking about with regard to issues revolving around the problems of mineral use and availability. An issue paper will be put together by the staff for the President to see. Various experts and White House officials will review the issues formally and make the final recommendations to the President. "With this procedure," Smith says, "OSTP will be involved heavily in forming the questions for study and oversight." But it apparently will be more integrated with elements of the White House directly involved in the policy decision-making. If OSTP does more direct work with, say, central management operations run by Stuart Eisenstadt, it could enjoy considerably more clout than its predecessor, the Office of Science & Technology, and science adviser Frank Press would escape the isolation from White House inner workings suffered by several of his predecessors. One important group probably will depart OSTP: the President's Council on Science & Technology Policy. That unit was to be composed of outside advisers in a function reminiscent of the old President's Science Advisory Committee. "Now," says Smith, "it makes more sense to abolish the committee and take a different approach." Having an independent outside group would work dissonantly and obviously too slowly for a more active OSTP. Instead the office would take on more outside consultants to its various studies and thus preserve the intent of the act establishing OSTP and CSTP. •
Second-quarter reports show gains over 1976 The first wave of second-quarter earnings reports out last week from U.S. chemical producers shows widespread improvement over second-quarter 1976. Even so, there are notes that after-tax profits still lag in many basic chemicals and that overall earnings gains at some companies came largely from nonchemical operations. One of the leading percentage gainers for the second quarter was Akzona, which reports a 41% increase in earnings over second-quarter 1976 on a 16% rise in sales. The earnings jump included an increase at the company's all-important synthetic fibers unit, American Enka. Hitherto, fibers have held Akzona behind the chemical industry's recovery pace. Even with the second-quarter boost in earnings, Akzona's after-tax profit margin is still just 2.3% on sales.
Towey: problems are behind us now
By contrast, Allied Chemical, closer to the industrywide average for profitability, reports a 5.5% profit margin in the second quarter before one-time gains compared with 5.3% a year earlier. Allied's profits from continuing operations rose 16% in the second quarter over second-quarter 1976 on an 11% sales increase. The company also enjoyed a nonrecurring profit of $19 million (another 44%) from the combined divestments of its Ironton, Ohio, coke plant and Buffalo, N.Y., dye plant operations. Among Allied's diverse operations, the energy sector was the star. Fibers and fabricated products made a modest gain, and chemicals suffered because of plant operating problems, a continuing cost squeeze, and lower demand in some areas. Similar mixed notices for chemical operations come from Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical and from Olin. Kaiser's important agricultural chemicals turned in a strong seasonal performance this spring, but industrial chemical earnings dropped. With a robust performance in aluminum, the company's overall earnings rose 32% on a 15% sales increase over second-quarter 1976. At Olin, earnings went up 11% in the second quarter, and sales gained 3%. However, the sales pickup was all nonchemical. Chemical earnings declined from a year ago, largely because of an ammonia plant problem at Lake Charles, La., and weatherand strike-related problems at an organic chemicals plant at Brandenburg, Ky. Company chairman James F. Towey says, "Most of these problems are behind us now, and the tone of Olin's chemicals business has imII proved in recent weeks." •
