thalidide

Thalidomide is a pharmaceutical drug that gained notoriety in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was initially marketed as a sedative and antiemetic, prescribed to pregnant women for morning sickness. The drug was widely available in many countries and was considered safe by physicians at the time.

However, a devastating side effect emerged: severe birth defects in infants born to mothers who had taken thalidomide during pregnancy. These defects, collectively known as thalidomide embryopathy, commonly included limb malformations such as phocomelia (shortened or absent limbs), as well as defects of the eyes, ears, heart, and internal organs. The drug's teratogenic properties, meaning its ability to cause birth defects, were discovered too late to prevent thousands of affected births worldwide.

The thalidomide tragedy led to significant reforms in drug regulation and testing protocols in many countries. Regulatory agencies became much stricter, requiring more extensive clinical trials to assess a drug's safety and efficacy, particularly for pregnant women. The event highlighted the critical importance of understanding a drug's potential side effects before widespread use.

Despite its tragic past, thalidomide has found new therapeutic applications. It is now used to treat certain types of cancer, such as multiple myeloma, and is also employed in managing complications of leprosy, including erythema nodosum leprosum. Its reintroduction into medicine is under strict controls and monitored clinical settings, with a strong emphasis on preventing exposure during pregnancy.