The thalidomide tragedy was one of the darkest episodes in pharmaceutical history. It was marketed as a mild sleeping drug that was considered safe even for pregnant women and since it reduced morning sickness, it was prescribed to many pregnant woman. However in 1962 it was revealed to have caused thousands of babies worldwide to be born with malformed limbs. During testing the scientists realized it was practically impossible to achieve an LD50 level, or deadly overdose, of the drug and while testing on animals they did not think to test the effects of the drug during pregnancy.
The Thalidomide tragedy made people realize that there needed to be more rigorous testing and control over the chemical based pharmaceutical industry
The Thalidomide tragedy made people realize that there needed to be more rigorous testing and control over the chemical based pharmaceutical industry