Neu: 2002-03-03 Contents of this issue:
1. Clinical Trial 2. Another Loan? 3. Ready, Steady ======================================================================== March 3rd, 2002 1. Clinical Trial: Health authorities are investigating plans for the Cook Islands to host maverick medical trials of xenotransplants -- banned in New Zealand -- of pig tissue into humans. The Cook Islands government is expected this week to agree to host clinical trials b Auckland researchers who have claimed an international breakthrough in diabetes treatment after successfully transplanting pig cells into diabetic Mexican children. But Health Minister Annette King said today she was surprised the Cook Islands looked set to enable the trials, and New Zealand health officials would be contacting the Cook Islands government immediately. "We're not prepared to take the risk ... retroviruses can emerge in a number of years and affect whole populations," she told Radio NZ. Auckland research company Diatranz has claimed the technique could eventually provide a cure for 15 million people worldwide with type one diabetes who need daily injections of insulin. Last July New Zealand's Health Ministry turned down a Diatranz application for new trials over fears of porcine retroviruses entering humans in pig tissue. The potential for Cook Islands trials has raised the spectre of Milan Brych, who fled New Zealand to set up a cancer clinic in Rarotonga and treated up to 300 patients mainly from Australia. Brych claimed to be a refugee from Communist Czechoslovakia and practised in New Zealand as a doctor during the 1970s. He said he had developed a cure for cancer based on what was believed to be apricot kernels. When questions were raised by authorities about his qualifications he fled New Zealand for the Cook Islands, where then premier Albert Henry and Health minister Joe Williams invited him, in 1977, to set up practice. Brych took over the paediatric ward of the almost new Rarotonga Hospital and began treating people. Sixty patients are buried there in a cemetery known as the "Brych Yard". ( NZPA ). 2. Another Loan?: Aviation analysts believe Air New Zealand is going to need another government handout to stay in the air. Aviation analyst Les Bloxham says Air New Zealand will be in real trouble without a domestic service in Australia to feed its international services. He says it's likely they will need to find more funding somewhere to get them through this rough patch. The airline will announce its half-year result this week, and the only talking point among industry experts and sharemarket observers is the size of the loss. Last year the Government propped up Air New Zealand to the tune of around 800 million dollars after it pulled out of its involvement in Ansett. Ansett makes its final flights in Australia tonight. Meanwhile, Air New Zealand has welcome the Australian Securities and Investments Commission decision not to prosecute over the collapse of Ansett Australia. 3. Ready, Steady: As election time draws near on Niue - no official date has been set but it is being predicted to be April 19 or 20- the coconut wireless is working overtime guessing the candidates line up. Count as firm starters the five common roll winners in the 1999 election vote totals in parenthesis) O'Love Jacobsen (502), Terry Coe (485), Sani Lakatani (474) Michael Jackson (414), Toke Talagi (414) and Hunukitama Hunuki ( 299) winner of a by-electio after Hima Douglas resigned from the Assembly to become High Commissioner to NZ. Election observers are predicting around 900 voters going to the polls to elect six common roll members and 14 village representatives for the Legislative Assembly. The Assembly elects the Premier from its ranks and a Speaker from outside the House.The Niue electorate is fickle but its clear from the lack of campaigning by the Niue Peoples Party and the Alliance of Independents that the fireworks are being kept under lock and key and unlikely to be set off before mid-March. Several village seats will be strongly contested and veteran wannabies are likely to appear again on the ballot papers. Features of the last election - the top poller on the common roll gained 502 votes, the lowest polled 31. The closest village contest was in Makefu where the winning candidate won by one vote. __END__
