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Thalidomide

Thalidomide first appeared in the late 1950s in Europe as a sleeping pill and to treat morning sickness during pregnancies. Experts were unaware of the birth defects thalidomide caused, resulting in around 8,000 babies to be born with severe birth defects in Europe. Currently, thalidomide is not approved for general sale in the U.S., but the FDA allows it be used in studies of certain severe or life threatening disease where there may be no other treatment available.

Women using thalidomide must take extreme caution, and it is still unknown whether or not males using thalidomide have the drug contained in their semen. Mothers that had taken thalidomide during the first trimester had children with a wide range of deformities, including babies with no arms, flippers coming out from the baby's shoulders, limbless trunks with toes extending from their hips, and babies with just a head and torso.

Contact us if you would like more information on your legal rights and options regarding thalidomide.

MedLine Plus Drug Information - Guide to prescription and over-the-counter medications provided by the United States Pharmacopeia.

Celgene.com - Thalidomide history and important information.