Thalidomide: a comeback?

Thalidomide, a synthetic glutamic acid derivative first marketed in 1954 as a sedative, rapidly gained worldwide notoriety as a cause of phocomelia. To prevent further cases of this severe birth defect, thalidomide was removed from the market. Over the last few years, however, thalidomide has been found to exhibit properties of potential usefulness in a range of conditions. Trials are under way in rheumatic diseases, and safer analogs have been developed.