Chinese gymnast not expected to walk again
Copyright =A9 1998 Nando.net
Copyright =A9 1998 The Associated Press
For a complete roundup of the latest sports news, check out The SportSe=
rver.
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (July 22, 1998 10:22 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) =
-- An experimental drug
has been approved to treat paralyzed Chinese gymnast Sang Lan, who suffer=
ed a broken neck at the
Goodwill Games on Tuesday night.
Vincent Leone, attending physician at the Nassau County Medical Center, w=
ho treated Sang and
expressed concern that she might not walk again, said Wednesday that the =
drug Sygen was
approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat the gymnast.
The drug is a synthetic protein designed for nerve damage and structural =
repair in paralysis cases and
has not received complete clearance for use in the United States by the F=
DA. The Nassau County
Medical Center made an emergency application to obtain the drug on a comp=
assionate basis.
"It has yet to prove completely successful," Leone said, "so I have an ob=
ligation to the patient to
remain skeptical. But we're willing to look at any kind of treatment to h=
elp Sang Lan walk again."