Thalidomide: the drug with a dark side but an enigmatic future

Neil Vargesson

Thalidomide: the drug with a dark side but an enigmatic future

Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article

Abstract

The drug thalidomide has a notorious past. It was used between 1957-62 as a sedative and to treat morning sickness in early pregnancy but a serious side effect resulted in over 10,000 children born with severe birth defects.

How the drug caused these defects, which could affect most parts of the body and includes phocomelia – where the limbs are shortened and missing the long bones with the digits in some cases extruding from the shoulder or the hip – is becoming clearer.

Original language	English
Specialist publication	The Conversation
Publisher	The Conversation UK
Publication status	Published - 10 Dec 2015

Bibliographical note

Neil Vargesson receives or has received funding for thalidomide research from the Wellcome Trust, the Royal Society, University of Aberdeen, Imperial College London.

Keywords

Cancer
India
Brazil
Thalidomide
Crohn's disease
Leprosy
Thalidomide series

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

https://theconversation.com/thalidomide-the-drug-with-a-dark-side-but-an-enigmatic-future-50330Licence: CC BY-ND

Cite this

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Thalidomide: the drug with a dark side but an enigmatic future

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this