Thalidomide, one of the most infamous drugs of all, caused severe birth defects in the children of pregnant women who took the drug for nausea in the 1950s. Its story has been repeated over and over – mostly wrong. Here's why.
thalidomide
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While thalidomide was responsible for tens of thousands of deformed babies in Europe in the late 1950s and early 60s, decades later data is showing the drug to be efficacious against certain chronic conditions. It's especially beneficial against the blood cancer multiple myeloma.
In 1954 the German company Chemie Grunenthal first synthesized the drug thalidomide to be used as a sedative that provided sound sleep. The drug seemed safe when tested on rats it wasn t found to be toxic at all. Indeed, no matter how much was given, the rats survived.