Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1984. július-december (38. évfolyam, 27-48. szám)
1984-09-20 / 35. szám
Thursday, Sep. 20. 1984. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZÓ 9. COMING EVENTS NEW YORK Oct. 28. Sunday, Annual Press Banquet by the American Hungarian Cuilture Club, Vanderbilt YMCA Joseph Haluska, M.C. Speakers: Dr. Antal Borbély, pember Executive Committtee, Zoltán Deák Editor, Magyar Szó.Home-cooked stuffed cabbage by noted chef Adorján Nánási. Musical program. November 4,Sunday 2 PM. Hungarian film at Robert Wagner Jr. High School, 220 E 76 St. November 11, Sunday, Pre-Christmas Bazaar, Robert Wagner Jr. High School, 220 E 76 St. NYC. A New Drug for Old Ailments In recognition of their research that led to the formulation of Cavinton, a new drug for treating ailments of the cerebral vascular system, Drs. Lilla Forgács, Egon Kárpáti and László Szporny received the State Prize in 1983. LOS ANGELES Sept. 23. Sunday, Garden Party, home-cooked meal, song and dance program by Ella Szarka, Sept. 25, Tuesday 1 PM Senior Citizen meeting Oct. 2. Tuesday, 1 PM Membership Meeting Address: 1251 So. St. Andrews Place gd—— .11 I ■' ■ ■ 1 GYULA OLÁH It is with profound regret that I have to report the demise of my dear friend and fellow worker, Gyula Oláh, on June 19th, 1984 in Sun City, Arizona. Brother Oláh was born on May 15, 1897 in Miskolc, Hungary. After finishing school and a course in a trade school, he emigrated to the United States in 1921. After a brief stay in Youngstown, Ohio he joined his brother in Detroit. Soon afterward he obtained employment in the Ford plant and later in a tool and die-making shop. EventuaUy he became the manager of another firm in the same line. After retiring in 1969 he moved with his family to Sun City, Ariz. In the pleasant climate of that area he lived until his death. He was cremated in the local cemetery and then his ashes placed to eternal rest in the Oakview Cemetery (Royal Oak,Mich.). A moving eulogy was delivered at the funeral by his grandson, Dr. David S. Olson. He is being mourned by his broken-hearted wife, Irma, with whom he lived happily for 61 years, his daughter Emily, his son-in-law, Dr. D.S. Olson, his daughter Irma, son-in-law J. Alon Powell, five grandchildren one great grandchild, by ms omy living brother Béla, of Miskolc Hungary, and many friends. His memory will live forever in the hearts of aU who knew him. George Miklós, Detroit, Mich. We talked to the research team about the search that had taken twenty years. Dr. László Szporny: " As far as the facts are concerned, Cavinton has been leading Hungarian pharmaceutical charts for two years. It is already on the market in several foreign countries, in the US it is under clinical testing right now while in Japan it is before the health authorities for authorization. Cavinton is one of Hungary's original products, a patent, a successful medicine, and big business - all in all, a hit. Yet its progress is by no means completed, since the medicine is to undergo control examinations and tests for years to come." But let's have a look at the story from the beginning. What first sparked off research was the discovery that a certain evergreen plant, usually found in cemeteries, had the ability to lower blood-pressure. After many years of research and testing, a medicine was formulated and released under the name of Devincan. The Soviet internal specialist and clinical pharmacologist, Boris Votschal prescribed Devincar to patients with high blood-pressure as well as diminished cerebral blood supply. And the results were surprisingly good. Research took a new turn in the wake of his observations and the team at Kőbánya Pharmaceutical Works decided to try to improve cerebral blood supply, a little-explored medical field. Dr. Egon Kárpáti takes up the account from here: "What we were trying to do was to eliminate the blood-pressure-reducing factor and to work on the action mechanism that affects the cerebral vascular system. To cut a long story short we wanted a compound that would help compensate for the brain's lost energy* "After years of work, in 1971 we came up with the compound known today as Cavinton. In those days we had to face a challenge from the French—recalls Dr. Szporny.- When I was on a study-tour in France for two months I heard that they too were working in that direction. As soon as I returned we set to work around the clock to get our research finished. , That was how we had the edge cn the French by six months. The Cavinton patent was issued to the Chemical Works cf Gedeon Richter Ltd. on November 22, 1971." "To go back a bit," Dr. Lilla Forgács joins the conversation, " it must be mentioned that Devincan was originally released on the market as a French product. At that stage we were one step behind, though it cannot be denied that the moral success was ours. The French makers had used our documentation to bring cut their final compound." Just how important proper documentation in pharmacology is needs no special explanation. These files contain all the chemical, pharmacological, toxicological, pharmaco- technological and human examinations which means keeping incredibly accurate records. "Making Cavinton taught us" Dr. Forgács continues, " how to record all the facets of research-work and experiments, how to keep files according to the most stringent international regulations." But let's go back to our story: the succession of events started accelerating in 1971. The prize-winning research team says they were incredibly lucky to have had the drug registered in a very short time, by the end of 1977. "Medicine," explains Dr.Szporny, "is not only one of the natural sciences but it also has legal existence, you might say - it is the totality of patience, accuracy, painstakingly meticulous examinations and the seal of approval. A compound becomes a medicine only when the health authorities of the marketing country authorize it. Of course, that is not peculiar to Hungary alone, it's done like that all over the world, This is why we're very happy that our records have been found to be satisfactory in Japan and marketing there is about to be approved. Our animal tests have been accepted in the United States and our trials on humans are being examined there." "A good physician," explains Dr. Forgács, "can use Cavinton for a variety of cases. It's a drug that can remedy a wide-spread of diseases, in fact anything connected with the failure cf the oxygen-supply of the cerebral vascular system." What it all boils down to is that the flawless products of these doctors' research work car help hundreds of thousands of elderly ill and often confused people around the world to easier lives for themselves and for those they live with. Kornélia Dolecskó Did you know ...that Europe's oldest operating thermal bath, the Rudas Bath is 400 years old? The style of the baths at the foot of Gellert Hill recalls the Turks, who were rulers of Hungary four centuries ago.
