Thalidomide Case Study

In 1953, Scientists at the German pharmaceutical company Chemie Grunethal discovered
Thalidomide (alpha-phthalimido-glutarimide) whilst trying to create an effective anticonvulsant. After testing thalidomide on laboratory animals, Thalidomide was marketed as a sedative in 1956.
Further research was done on Thalidomide at Chemie Grunethal, and, during this new round of research, it was found that the drug inhibited morning sickness. By 1957 the company was aggressively marketing Thalidomide as a panacea for morning sickness under the trade name of
Countergan in West Germany and, via the Distillers Chemical Company, as Distaval in the UK.
During this period of the 1950’s there was no proper oversight on the usage of medicines on pregnant women,
These high-profile court cases, and the resulting fight for meaningful compensation payments kept the Thalidomide tragedy in the public consciousness. This horrific tragedy and its resulting publicity marked a turning point in the public perception of biomedicine and pharmaceuticals in general.
Suddenly, it seemed that drugs were not quite as safe as people had been led to believe, and serious repercussions could result from the use of so called â€oewonder drugs―.
Side effects caused by drugs began to become an issue, and people began to pay more attention to the possible side effects that their families could be exposed to, leading them to question the safety of all prescribed and over the counter drugs. In contrast, herbal medicine, with its natural ingredients and lack of horrific side effects, began to look less archaic, and more appealing to the public. This has led to a widespread acceptance of herbal medicine across the