Narcotics research, rehabilitation, and treatment. Hearings, Ninety ...

21When methadone was first introduced into the field by Lilly & Co.it was introduced under the trade name of Dolophine. They thouojhtthe drug was much more potent than it actually is. Dolophine wasintroduced on a 3 -milligram dose basis whereas we know the drughas about the same potency as morphine, and the average dose is 10 milligrams.Dolophine fell flat. If Lilly had introduced it at a 10-milligramdose we might have had methadone substituting for morphme.Methadone is one of the drugs that can satisfactorily substitutefor morphine.Mr. Winn. How many years ago did Lilly come out with that, sir?Dr. Seevers. That was the midfifties, as I recall, just around themidfifties.Mr. Winn. Would you encourage the pharmaceutical houses to geta press campaign or campaign put together so that they can use thesubstitutes for codeine ?Dr. Seevers. That is a $64 question. I don't know whether I couldgive an answer to that.Mr. Winn. Well, I am saying do you think it would be wise to dothat.Dr. Seevers. For them to initiate a campaign ?Mr. Winn. Yes.Dr. See\^rs. I don't know who would do the initiating, whether thecompetitors would initiate or whether producers would do the initiating.I doubt the practicality.Mr. Winn. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.Chairman Pepper. ^Ir. Keating?Mr. Keating. No questions, Mr. Chairman.Chairman Pepper. Doctor, two questions. One, this committee hashad testimony from many sources that there are some 8 billion amphetaminesproduced and distributed in this country every year, and wehave been advised, as has the Committee on Interstate and ForeignCommerce, Subcommittee on Health, that about half of those go intothe black market. Would you tell us what, in your opinion, is themedical need, if any, for amphetamines in this country ?Dr. Seevers. In my opinion the need is relatively small. I think thisis a concensus of most people who reviewed the problem. The biggestuse is in the treatment of obesity. At best, this use can be said to onlytemporarily be effective. The reason for this is that tolerance developsto its continued exposure. Bigger and bigger doses are necessary. Withsusceptible individuals, but not in all cases, they are likely to becomedependent upon it.Chairman Pepper. Would you put the need in hundreds, or thousands,or millions ?Dr. Seevers. Compared to 8 billion ?Chairman Pepper. Yes.Dr. Seevers. Well, that is pretty difficult. The only thing I can sayis that as far as I can determine, in Japan, Sweden, and the threeAustralian States, medicine hasn't been hurt very badly.Chairman Pepper. You would say the medical need is small ?''Dr. Seevers. Comparatively small.Chairman Pepper. One other question. You have spoken about theprobable reluctance or probable tardiness of the medical profession inaccepting these synthetic substitutes for morphine and codeine. We all