What is thalidomide and what is it used for?
Thalidomide is a drug that was originally sold during the late 1950s and 1960s as a sleeping aid and as a drug to treat morning sickness in pregnant women. In 1960-61, it was found to cause birth defects, especially if taken by women during the first 25-50 days of pregnancy. Around 15,000 children were affected by thalidomide, of whom about 12,000 in 46 countries were born with birth defects, with only 8,000 of them surviving past the first year of life. In 1962, thalidomide was withdrawn from the world wide market. It is presently not marketed in Canada. In the early 1990s, thalidomide was found to be effective for other indications, such as for leprosy and multiple myeloma, a type of cancer. Thalidomide was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998 as a treatment for leprosy. In May 2006, new U.S. FDA approval was granted for thalidomide in combination with dexamethasone for treatment of patients with multiple myeloma. Thalidomide is made by Celgene Cor
