California IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Clinton Urged to OK Abortion Pill

Women physicians and breast cancer patients have urged President-elect Bill Clinton to help make the abortion pill RU 486 available immediately for testing in the United States. The American Medical Women’s Assn. says the political controversy over abortion has denied U.S. researchers access to the drug despite indications that it may help treat a variety of diseases, including cancer. “For too long, political controversy over abortion has held RU 486 hostage,” Marjorie Braude, chairwoman of the association’s governmental affairs committee, said during the group’s meeting here. “We are here today to make an open, urgent appeal to Mr. Clinton to take immediate action in making RU 486 available for large-scale research here in the U.S.” The federal government in 1990 banned import of RU 486 for personal use. The drug technically is available for testing, but proponents say the ban convinced French manufacturer Roussel-Uclaf to cut off the supply.