Thalidomide was a widely used
drug in the late 1950s and early 1960s for the treatment of
nausea in pregnant women. It became apparent in the 1960s that
thalidomide treatment resulted in severe
birth defects in thousands of children. Though the use of
thalidomide was banned in most countries at that time,
thalidomide proved to be a useful treatment for
leprosy and later,
multiple myeloma. In rural areas of the world that lack extensive medical surveillance initiatives,
thalidomide treatment of pregnant women with
leprosy has continued to cause malformations. Research on
thalidomide mechanisms of action is leading to a better understanding of molecular targets. With an improved understanding of these molecular targets, safer drugs may be designed. The
thalidomide tragedy marked a turning point in toxicity testing, as it prompted United States and international regulatory agencies to develop systematic toxicity testing protocols; the use of
thalidomide as a tool in developmental biology led to important discoveries in the biochemical pathways of limb development. In celebration of the Society of Toxicology's 50th Anniversary, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of
thalidomide from the market, it is appropriate to revisit the lessons learned from the
thalidomide tragedy of the 1960s.