Thalidomide has reemerged as a potential
drug with new found uses despite its history of having caused devastating congenital
birth defects. The
drug has become the subject of major interest because of its clinical value in certain clearly defined disorders. Interest in
thalidomide was initially rekindled in the mid-1960s by its remarkable effect in lessening the complication of
leprosy called
erythema nodosum leprosum. Several studies thereafter have demonstrated the use of
thalidomide as a wonder
drug. However, it was only in July 1998 that the US Food and Drug Administration granted approval for the use of
thalidomide under strict patient guidelines. Its apparent immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties led to widespread application in clinical practice.
Thalidomide has gained respectability as a promising new
drug in oral mucosal lesions. Studies have suggested that
thalidomide is effective in severe
aphthous stomatitis, Behçet's syndrome, certain
oral manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (
HIV) infection, erosive
lichen planus, and possibly
malignancies.