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Thalidomide holds a special place in drug discovery lore. Initially marketed in Europe in the 1950s to help pregnant women overcome morning sickness and to help them sleep, thalidomide was found to be a teratogen – a compound that interferes with the growth of a fetus thus leading to birth defects. Thousands of babies were born with severe deformities as a result of this drug. Fortunately, the FDA never approved thalidomide thanks to the diligence of FDA reviewer Dr. Frances Kelsey.
Merck’s Vioxx, a member of a class of anti-inflammatory drugs called COX-2 inhibitors, was flying high when it was launched in 1999. It boasted remarkable arthritis pain relief, yet didn’t cause the gastrointestinal distress that accompanied other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen. These attractive properties drove Vioxx to billion dollar annual sales.
Besides being a valued pain drug, Vioxx was also being studied by Merck in long term trials to see if COX-2 inhibition could be used to prevent the formation of polyps that lead to colon cancer. In 2003, this study, known as APPROVe, was halted by the data safety monitoring board that was overseeing this trial because patients on Vioxx had an excess of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes, compared to patients on placebo.
Take at your own risk! I saw many elderly die on this drug!
This tweet is erroneous. Vioxx, which caused large numbers of heart attacks, strokes, and deaths (but not deformities), may return to the market. Thalidomide, which can cause deformities in the fetuses of pregnant women, continues to be available for use in treating leprosy.
Sure it treats many conditions at a risk but you end this article with a question to the new formula and so what does that mean? These patients are the guinea pigs
Incredible. To think Thalidomide, a villain in early years of the Babyboomers for all the child deformities it caused has now become a medical hero janetnovack Woellert DamonSilvers iamJanKruse ricedelman edmpirg
But why