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. T o prevent further cases of this severe birth defect, thalidomide was remove d from the market. Over the last few years, however, thalidomide has been f ound to exhibit properties of potential usefulness in a range of conditions . Trials are under way in rheumatic diseases, and safer analogs have been d eveloped. Joint Bone Spine 2000; 67 :259-61. (C) 2000 Editions scientifique s et medicales Elsevier.