Daniel Mathaga

The Return of Thalidomide

The story of Thalidomide is one of the most tragic disasters in drug development history. It was prescribed to pregnant people for morning sickness in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but it caused serious birth defects. After the danger was discovered, thalidomide was pulled from shelves. However, it is still being used today for other conditions, and part of the reason we've resurrected the drug has to do with the same drug testing procedures that it inspired.