Posted on 10/09/2018 1:33:26 AM PDT by beaversmom
In the 1950s, thalidomide cut a wide swath of destruction across the world, leaving behind thousands of deformed infants, but that was only the beginning of the story.
Hideous nightmare.
One of the worst of that era.
And we can actually thank the FDA for keeping this drug out of the USA.
A lot of Freepers were conceived during this era. We dodged a bullet with this one.
They discuss that in the video.
I remember my mom talking about the babies and how she was so glad the FDA never let it distributed during those early years.
Thank you, beaversmom. It was an excellent video. Very sobering...
You are welcome. My three older brothers were all born in England in the 50s. I’m glad my mom never took it. She is English born, but she was under American care for the last two. Not sure why she didn’t take it with my eldest brother under English care. Maybe being poor she thankfully didn’t have access to prenatal care and advice.
Thank God for the FDA...of 30 years ago.
Ty for posting the film. I had heard they found other uses for the drug. They even had an episode of Call the Midwife devoted to the drug.
It was unequivocally a good thing that Thalydamide was not introduced into the US.
However, the FDA of the same era kept Metformin off the US market for nearly 40 years (introduced in France in 1957 and not approved for use in the US until 1995), preventing access to the best medicine for early stage diabetes to millions, including my mother.
Hindsight of what drugs are safe and effective is 20-20, but free choices by informed individuals is sometimes better than centralized decision-making by the most well-meaning of beauracracies.
Quite a variety of other uses for it and it’s derivatives now, although its original use was cringeworthy. What kept it going was the serendipitous discover that it worked for a severe leprosy complication that failed all else. Eventually less rare uses were found. Usage for complications of AIDS likely politically put it over the top. FDA has patted itself on the back for keeping this out for ever; their proudest moment. However IIRC it was bureaucratic sloth and incompetence, unrelated to the birth defect issue, that had kept it out of US, not anything praiseworthy.
There was one woman who fought a drug company over its entry to the US; I believe Kennedy gave her the Medal of Freedom (not sure, was very young at the time).
That was Dr. Frances Kelsey. Wasn't intimidated by the drug companies and bureaucrats who wanted it rushed to market.
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