Talidomida: 50 años después

Thalidomide—A novel therapeutic approach for pruritic papular eruption of HIV

“… 14 Compliance with pregnancy prevention is important as exposure to the fetus can lead to multiple birth defects, including phocomelia and thumb absence/hypoplasia. 15 The mechanism for treating pruritic skin disease is not well characterized but may involve a combination of actions. Thalidomide acts as a central depressant with sedative properties, which may be beneficial in disrupting the itch-scratch cycle.…”

Socio-historical analysis of the social importance of pharmacovigilance

“…In 1954, the German company Chemie Grünenthal succeeded in obtaining the molecule alpha-phthalimidoglutarimide, known as thalidomide. This drug was classified as a sedative and hypnotic, and was used in 1957 for the treatment of anxiety, insomnia, nausea and vomiting in pregnant women (Martínez-Frías, 2012). In 1956, the first isolated case of phocomelia was documented after the exposure of thalidomide, and in the following 5 years, 3.000 cases of dysmelias, congenital malformations such as amelias, phocomelia or absence/hypoplasia of the thumb or fingers, among others, were gradually reported worldwide (Papaseit et al, 2013).…”

Drug safety: The concept, inception and its importance in patients’ health

“…It is important to mention that this drug was not authorized or approved for use in the United States because of some concerns that arose during non-clinical studies (animal studies) due to the existence of cases of deformities on animal embryos. Note that those animal studies were conducted according to the act that was initiated following the sulfanilamide incident in the USA; therefore the public was protected and avoided from this crisis (Ito et al, 2011, Kim and Scialli, 2011, Martinez-Frias, 2012).…”