Thalidomide has a dual legacy when it comes to CLL treatments.
1) The thalidomide tragedy caused major changes in the way new drugs were trialled and approved along with the introduction of processes to capture side effects after a drug's approval, dramatically reshaping the Clinical Trial process into what we have today.
2) Thalidomide has successfully been used to treat CLL and only a few years ago the derivative drug Lenalidomide (trade name Revlimid) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenal... was considered to show much promise in treating CLL, in particular because of its ability to improve our response to vaccinations. There's even a trial currently recruiting CLL patients to assess this:
clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show...
The Conversation has today launched "a global series on thalidomide, the sedative and morning sickness drug that caused thousands of miscarriages in the 50s and 60s and left more than 10,000 children severely disabled. Our infographic and timeline explain how the tragedy unfolded, while historian Authur Daemmrich sets the scene of the mid-20th century drug landscape. Could something like thalidomide happen today? Stronger regulations mean it's less likely, writes Sarah Ferber, but for some people, the scandal is still going. Stay tuned for more insights from thalidomiders, legal scholars and medical ethicists throughout the week."
Today's articles:
"Remind me again, what is thalidomide and how did it cause so much harm?
theconversation.com/remind-...
Arthur Daemmrich, Smithsonian Institution
Thalidomide was developed in an era of widespread enthusiasm – but little critical attention – for pharmaceutical therapies. Thalidomide was initially marketed for daytime use, first as a flu treatment, then as ain aid to reduce stress and anxiety.
Infographic: a snapshot of the thalidomide tragedy
theconversation.com/infogra...
Emil Jeyaratnam, The Conversation; Sasha Petrova, The Conversation
Thalidomide was marketed as a safe, sleep-inducing drug, but when taken during pregnancy it could cause severe birth defects. More than 10,000 babies were affected. This is an overview of the tragedy.
Could thalidomide happen again?
Sarah Ferber, University of Wollongong
theconversation.com/could-t...
Thalidomide caused thousands of spontaneous abortions and left more than 10,000 children severely disabled. What guarantee is there that the same thing can’t occur again today?
Timeline: key events in the history of thalidomide
theconversation.com/timelin...
Emil Jeyaratnam, The Conversation; Sasha Petrova, The Conversation
Taking thalidomide during pregnancy resulted in thousands of babies being born with defects and many dying prematurely. The timeline outlines the key events in the history of the thalidomide tragedy."
Neil
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