Duration of Survival in Patients with Myeloma Treated with Thalidomide Jul 13, 2008
To the Editor: Two years ago, we reported that the incorporation of thalidomide into high-dose therapy for myeloma increased the frequency of complete remission but not the duration of remission and extended event-free survival but not overall survival ... Although the overall difference in the 8-year survival estimates of 56% for 323 patients who were randomly assigned to the thalidomide group and 45% for 345 patients in the control group was not. (New England Journal of Medicine)
FDA slowing new-medicine pipeline Jul 1, 2008
In the early 1960s, thousands of birth defects in the U.K. linked to the morning-sickness drug thalidomide triggered an overhaul of drug evaluation in the U.S. The FDA began demanding more extensive evidence from drug companies that their products were effective and safe. In the 1970s, a report showed that approval of drugs for high blood pressure and other ailments had all but stopped in the U.S., while several new medicines for the conditions were introduced in the U.K. That fueled a debate,... (AZCentral -- Business)
Vulnerable need protection from medicine manipulation Jun 19, 2008
The landmark case that forced countries to put many of these measures in place was over a drug called Thalidomide, which was prescribed for pregnant women suffering from nausea ... The government made many decisions and indecisions according to batty theories, and enormous pressure was brought to bear on regulatory authorities all over the world by Aids activists and pharmaceutical companies to speed up the process that Thalidomide had slowed, in order to get new medication onto the market more... (Business Report, South Africa)
Commercially available bionic hand wins engineering prize Jun 10, 2008
The device started life in Scotland in 1963 as part of a project to help children affected by Thalidomide. The complex device finally went on sale in July 2007. (BBC News -- UK)
Duke chemist has new way to tell right from left Jun 6, 2008
For example, side effects from the morning sickness drug Thalidomide resulted in profound birth defects because one shape of the molecule was therapeutic and the other was dangerous. Don Coltart, an assistant professor of chemistry at Duke, appears to have found a way to make synthetic ketone molecules in just one version or the other using a process that is faster, cheaper and less wasteful than the best techniques now available. (EurekAlert!)
A 'drug drought' for pregnant women Jun 4, 2008
The medication thalidomide, used to treat morning sickness in the late 1950s and early 1960s, caused severe limb deformities in babies. A drug used for morning sickness from the 1940s through the early 1970s, diethylstilbestrol, or DES, caused cancer in the daughters of women who took it. (USA Today -- News)
New Data Show TORISEL Improves Progression-Free Survival for Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma Jun 1, 2008
Patients were randomly assigned to receive intravenous (IV) TORISEL at 175 mg for three successive weekly doses followed by 75 mg IV weekly; TORISEL 175 mg IV for three successive weekly doses followed by 25 mg IV weekly; or investigators' choice of one of the following single agents at predefined doses: gemcitabine, fludarabine, chlorambucil, cladribine, etoposide, cyclophosphamide, thalidomide, vinblastine, alemtuzumab or lenalinomide. The primary end point was PFS based on independent review. (PR Newswire)
The MOTHERS Act: Thalidomide Revisited? May 24, 2008
The MOTHERS Act: Thalidomide Revisited ... The MOTHERS Act: Thalidomide Revisited ... In 1960, Frances O. Kelsey of the FDA blocked an application by the Richardson-Merrell Corporation of Cincinnati to market thalidomide. (PR Newswire)
Letters to the Editor (May 22) (58) May 23, 2008
Roscoe wrote on May 22, 2008 3:34 PM:" George Bush behaves no better than the dictator we took out in Iraq, Carpe. You can live your life with rose-colored glasses on or stick your head in the Bush but I'd rather see what is going on in America, admit what is unjust about it, and make changes. You, on the other hand, believe because a lot of people say, 'it's okay', that means it is. Ever hear of Thalidomide or the idea that cigarettes are harmless for your health? It is easiest to go with the... (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)
iReporters battle brain cancer May 22, 2008
She credits her recovery mostly to an experimental drug called Thalidomide, which she said many doctors are afraid to use because of its history of causing birth defects and because it's not FDA approved for cancer treatment. Having difficulty communicating with doctors is a problem for patients with many kinds of cancer, said Sedowski, who participates in a support group. (CNN)
Believe it or not, clinical trials are not all about profit May 15, 2008
Abuses like this - as well as more recent scandals, like that of Thalidomide, a drug that produced dreadful abnormalities in babies when it was used to treat morning sickness in pregnant women - have resulted in a need to ensure that experiments using human participants are carefully designed trials until manufacturers and authorities are reasonably sure that those eventually taking the drug under testing will benefit from it. That process, however, also accounts for some of the billions of... (Business Report, South Africa)
Frigid robot eyes top tech prize May 13, 2008
The design started life in 1963 when researchers at Edinburgh's Princess Margaret Rose Hospital proposed a design to help children affected by Thalidomide. It has taken more than 40 years to build a commercial product. (BBC News -- Science)
Sick to the stomach May 13, 2008
It is salutary to note that the tragedy over thalidomide - the anti-nausea drug banned for use by pregnant women in the 1960s after it was shown to be damaging the development of some foetuses - continues to echo through obstetrics. The appetite simply is not there to research pharmaceutical solutions to sickness unless things get phenomenally bad, which they only rarely do. (Guardian Unlimited -- Society)
Rest In Perfect Peace Ama Sumani: A heroine has departed!! May 11, 2008
The lack of thalidomide in Ghana to care for her did not help. The demand of payment initially and refusal to take offers because she did not have enough to pay consistently for her care did not help. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Cancer Could Return Unless Stored Ovarian Tissue Undergoes Adequate Testing Before Re-implantation May 2, 2008
29, 2008) Thalidomide, a drug blamed in the 1950s for causing birth defects, is now showing promise as a safe and effective treatment for women with recurrent ovarian cancer, according to a new. . (Science Daily)
Indiana motivational speaker returns to Dowagiac May 2, 2008
He's not a Thalidomide baby. "I pretty much learned to do things myself," he said. (Dowagiac News, MI)
If Al Gore had won in 2000 Apr 23, 2008
HastertVotesAgainstStudentsAgain wrote on Apr 18, 2008 12:59 PM:" I shudder to think how it would have been worse with President Gore and VP LieberFraud, but I believe it. I believe you get the president you deserve, wow, them chickens did come home to roost didn't they? Was it the basic Karma payback (Karma is always followed by its fruit), and the fact that we DID sell poisonous chemicals/worldwide internationally after they were banned here? Or more likely it was selling thalidomide after it... (DeKalb Daily Chronicle, IL)
Thalidomide pay out demanded Apr 19, 2008
Thalidomide compensation demanded ... Dozens of people born with deformities due to the drug thalidomide have demanded compensation from the company that invented the drug 50 years ago ... Thalidomide was first licensed for use in the UK in 1958 as a cure for morning sickness. (BBC News -- UK)
Legislation worthy of our support Apr 18, 2008
In the 1960s, the beginning of the consumer era, there was a shift to pre-market review, to ensuring that drugs were actually tested before being sold to the public to avoid debacles such as thalidomide. The new legislation focuses on the safety of drugs throughout their life cycle, from the clinical trials that are designed to produce good results through to the risks (and benefits) that spring up in the real world. (Globe and Mail)
Patient hoping for change of heart on drug Apr 13, 2008
COUNTRY WALK AROUND.. GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL. (York Press)
New drug rules: life-saver or safety risk? Apr 12, 2008
For instance, she said, the group faced difficulty fighting for access to Revlimid, a derivative of thalidomide, which is used to treat the anemia that is common in some myelodysplastic syndromes (a group of blood cell disorders). But others warn that flexibility could increase the likelihood that some new drugs will make it onto the market without adequate safety checks. (Globe and Mail)
Cervical cancer jab may be offered to all women up to age 25 Apr 9, 2008
"Ms Robison said it was a complex issue, but a decision was expected in the next few months.Pamela Morton, from the cervical cancer charity Jo's Trust, said allowing older women to have the vaccine would be a welcome development. "In Australia, they offer women aged 18 to 26 the opportunity to have the vaccine free of charge. "The results show that 80 per cent have taken up the offer. To have a similar system in the UK would be very welcome.". (Scotsman)
Five Years Later, Patient On Vaccine Trial Still Free Of Ovarian Cancer Apr 8, 2008
29, 2008) Thalidomide, a drug blamed in the 1950s for causing birth defects, is now showing promise as a safe and effective treatment for women with recurrent ovarian cancer, according to a new. (Nov. (Science Daily)
Parents of Autistic Kids Take Income Hit Apr 5, 2008
A new genetic study, with a link to thalidomide, may offer new clues as to how and when autism starts. Most Popular Stories. (Yahoo News -- Autism)
Thalidomide: 50 years on victims unite to seek more compensation Apr 5, 2008
Thalidomide victims began a campaign to win 4 billion (3 ... In Italy, Spain and Austria, the thalidomiders get nothing at all, according to Nicholas Dobrik, the chairman of the new International Contergan Thalidomide Alliance (ICTA) ... The ICTA says that this deal was struck with parents exhausted by the task of caring for their damaged children, and assumed that the thalidomiders would not live long. Today, thousands are still alive, aged around 50, the parents who cared for them are dying,... (Times Online)
Fifty years onThalidomide is still a curse for some - but a blessing for others Apr 4, 2008
Thalidomide: a curse and a blessing ... Thalidomide has shown promise in some cancer treatments ... It is 50 years since thalidomide was first introduced on to the UK market as a cure for morning sickness. (BBC News -- Health)
New guidance given on autism care Apr 3, 2008
Page last updated at 12:44 GMT, Wednesday, 2 April 2008 13:44 UK. The public health minister has announced new guidelines on autism. (Yahoo News -- Autism)
US sex-abstinence drive 'flawed' Apr 3, 2008
----------------- ----------------- RELATED BBC SITES. Last Updated: Friday, 1 December 2006, 02:13 GMT. (Yahoo News -- Birth Control)
Police evict Tamils from Colombo Apr 3, 2008
" SRI LANKA CRISIS BACKGROUND PROFILES HAVE YOUR SAY RELATED INTERNET LINKS The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites MOST E-MAILED Daily caffeine 'protects brain' Man wrestles croc to rescue wife 'Eco-towns' shortlist is revealed 'No Sun link' to climate change Car firms pile pressure on Mosley MOST READ Man wrestles croc to rescue wife Opposition wins Zimbabwe assembly Nato denies Georgia and Ukraine 'No Sun link' to climate change Daily caffeine 'protects brain'... (Yahoo News -- Sri Lanka)
Sexualisation 'harms' young girls Apr 3, 2008
----------------- ----------------- RELATED BBC SITES. Last Updated: Tuesday, 20 February 2007, 00:31 GMT. (Yahoo News -- Sex & Sexuality)
Hold on a nanosecond Mar 30, 2008
Nanofood scientists respond by saying "Trust us", while shoving test tubes labelled "DDT", "Asbestos", "Tobacco" and "Thalidomide" into a closet and forcing shut the door. In other news. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Fast-tracked Medications More Likely To Face Later Regulatory Action To Remedy Safety Concerns Mar 28, 2008
Over time, the process slowed as new review protocols were added in the wake of pharmaceutical missteps such as thalidomide, which led to the births of thousands of deformed babies in the late 1950s and early 1960s. "Because of similarly high-profile regulatory mistakes in recent years, we will likely see greater congressional scrutiny in coming decades as these FDA deadlines come up for renewal every five years," Carpenter says. (Science Daily)
Mother's hopes for Ghana adoption Mar 27, 2008
More than 70,000 was raised from public donations to help her have treatment in Ghana, but the drug Ms Sumani needed to prolong her life - thalidomide - is not available in the country. Decent education. (BBC News -- UK)
Adoption offer for Sumani orphans Mar 26, 2008
More than 70,000 was raised from public donations to help her have treatment in Ghana but the drug she needed to prolong her life - thalidomide - is not available in the country. The money raised is going to help her children, Mary, 16 and seven-year-old Samede. (BBC News -- UK)
Grower settles with limbless child Mar 25, 2008
Company officials also claimed in the past that Ag-Mart was not responsible for birth defects among its workers and suggested that the women might have taken the drug thalidomide, which causes severe birth defects. After the three children were born, the company said it stopped using five pesticides that are linked to birth defects. (News & Observer)
Removed cancer woman dies Mar 20, 2008
But the drug she needed to prolong her life - thalidomide - is not available in Ghana. The British people kept her alive all this time and we would like to thank them for their donations. (BBC News -- UK)
Deported Cancer victim dies Mar 20, 2008
Her friends, who set up a campaign to try to secure her treatment in Britian, claimed that her return to Africa meant she would not have access to the thalidomide drug that she needed to treat the illness that was attacking her kidneys. The medical journal The Lancet described the removal of Ms Sumani as atrocious barbarism. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Mother dies after 'atrocious' deportation Mar 20, 2008
But the drug she needed to prolong her life, Thalidomide, is not available in her home country. Her friend Janet Simmons, from Cardiff, told the BBC: "She said she was too tired to fight.". (The Herald)
FDA not what it used to be Mar 18, 2008
What we need now are people like Frances Kesley, the FDA reviewer who stalled the introduction into the United States more than 40 years ago of the dreadful drug thalidomide. The drug was intended to combat morning sickness in pregnant woman and to help them sleep. (Boston Globe)
Thalidomide Shows Promise For Treatment Of Recurrent Ovarian Cancer, Study Suggests Mar 1, 2008
29, 2008) Thalidomide, a drug blamed in the 1950s for causing birth defects, is now showing promise as a safe and effective treatment for women with recurrent ovarian cancer, according to a study led by a University of Minnesota Cancer Center researcher ... The study compared the effectiveness and safety of the combination of thalidomide and topotecan, a chemotherapy often used for ovarian cancer, versus topotecan alone for treatment of recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer in patients who had... (Science Daily)
The creation of the Prozac myth Feb 27, 2008
After the thalidomide scandal in the early 60s, tough new standards were set in place and drugs had to specify their active ingredients, the outcomes sought and the delivery period for attaining them. This meant a new kind of surface precision. (Guardian Unlimited)
Newsweek: Why the HPV vaccine is so unpopular Feb 26, 2008
that drug was thalidomide. Posted By: stuckinsuburbia @ 02/26/2008 12:39:10 AM. (MSNBC -- Health)
A Fuller Medicine Chest Feb 26, 2008
But you've certainly heard of thalidomide ... But 40 years later, thalidomide is again a blockbuster treating multiple myeloma and other cancers that attack blood and bones ... Two years ago, Celgene, owner of worldwide rights to thalidomide, introduced Revlimid, a much less toxic derivative of the drug. (SmartMoney)
Another way to grow blood vessels Feb 21, 2008
Among them are anti-angiogenic cancer drugs, including thalidomide and Avastin, which are designed to starve tumors by blocking the formation of blood vessels. Avastin is also used to dampen the abnormal growth of small vessels in the retina that causes macular degeneration in the eye. (EurekAlert!)
Star's support for cancer woman Feb 18, 2008
Ms Sumani, a mother-of-two, needs the hospital treatment to prolong her life but the drug she needs, thalidomide, is not available in Ghana. Her supporters fear her life may be cut short unless she can return to the UK and earlier this month Mrs Simmons said her condition was deteriorating rapidly. (BBC News -- UK)
Side-effects 'should be reported' Feb 18, 2008
The scheme, which includes online reporting, was set up in 1964 in the wake of the Thalidomide tragedy. It has since helped detect dozens of unexpected side-effects. (BBC News -- UK)
A Possible End To Toxic Testing On Animals Feb 15, 2008
The most notorious example is the drug thalidomide, marketed as a sleeping aid, that caused birth defects. You cannot abandon animal testing overnight. (CBS News)
The Machine of a New Soul Feb 14, 2008
Assume] at some point after the bright line fertilization Mom is prescribed a little thalidomide to keep her stress down. Guess what. (Slate)
Doctors refuse to give deported Ama cancer-drug treatment Feb 5, 2008
A fund to pay for her ongoing medical treatment in Ghana has so far raised more than 20,000, but it emerged yesterday that doctors are refusing to give her thalidomide to combat the cancer. Her friends in Wales said that the 39-year-olds condition is deteriorating and they fear she will die. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Ottawa moves to reduce price of cancer drug Jan 31, 2008
The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board ruled that it has jurisdiction over the multiple myeloma drug thalidomide and can regulate its cost ... Known for causing horrific birth defects more than 40 years ago, thalidomide has made a spectacular comeback ... At issue was whether thalidomide could be subject to price controls. (Globe and Mail)
Pharmion wins approval for European sale of thalidomide Jan 25, 2008
won recommended approval to reintroduce the drug thalidomide to Europe, 45 years after its use by pregnant women caused thousands of jarring birth defects across the continent. The European Medicines Agency, which makes recommendations on drugs to the European Commission, found that the Boulder-based company presented a compelling case for authorizing thalidomide to be marketed as a treatment for multiple myeloma blood disorders in patients over 65 ... Pharmion bought the rights to thalidomide... (Denver Business Journal, CO)
Thalidomide Returns As Leukemia Fighter Jan 18, 2008
The drug thalidomide was pulled from the market in the 1950s after causing horrible birth defects. But doctors now say a new version is a powerful tool in fighting leukemia, according to a news release from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y.. (KSBW 8, CA)
Notorious Tranquilizer Takes On Leukemia Jan 18, 2008
Thalidomide Returns As Leukemia Fighter - Health News Story - KPRC Houston ... Thalidomide Returns As Leukemia Fighter ... The drug thalidomide was pulled from the market in the 1950s after causing horrible birth defects. (Click2Houston, TX)
Father of Breakthrough Cancer Therapy Dies Jan 16, 2008
Judah Folkman, "the father of antiangiogenesis," a way to starve tumors of blood, died yesterday from an apparent heart attack. " At the time, Folkman's antiangiogenic therapies had successfully shrunk enormous mouse tumors comparable two-pound (0.9-kilogram) masses in humans. And, almost overnight, angiogenesis inhibitors became the cancer therapy du jour. "At the beginning I felt enormous pressure," Folkman said in with Scientific American. "[The news] raised expectations and demand for... (Scientific American)
Earnings Surge For Celgene Jan 8, 2008
Thalomid is a brand name for the drug thalidomide, which was linked to birth defects a half-century ago when used as an anti-nausea drug. Revlimid, Celgene's second biggest-selling drug, is basically an improved version of Thalomid. (Forbes -- Markets)
Danger Drug Could Make Comeback Dec 29, 2007
Experts say that over the next few weeks the European Medicines Agency are likely to give thalidomide the go ahead to be licensed in Britain ... Thalidomide's return has been on the cards for years, after four successful studies showed that it could be used in the treatment of myeloma - a blood and bone marrow cancer ... Rita Rumsey was diagnosed with the disease in 2002 and has been taking thalidomide ever since. (Sky News)
Scoring system identifies MDS patients who have low-risk disease but a poor prognosis Dec 22, 2007
In the past three years, therapy for MDS has improved significantly, with approval of three new drugs: lenalidomide, a thalidomide derivative indicated for some patients, and two demethylating agents that turn on genes by removing chemical "off switches" that block gene expression. Previously, most patients were observed or received supportive care until MDS transformed into acute myelogenous leukemia. (EurekAlert!)
Results promising for computational quantum chemical methods for drug development Dec 21, 2007
He used thalidomide as an example ... Thalidomide was never approved by the FDA in the United States and was eventually taken off the market in Europe. (EurekAlert!)
New Therapeutic Options For Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients Dec 12, 2007
13, 2004) The combination of two pills -- thalidomide and dexamethasone -- may be an effective alternative to the intravenous chemotherapy commonly prescribed to patients with multiple myeloma, according to a. . (Science Daily)
3-drug combination 'extremely promising' as first-line therapy for multiple myeloma Dec 12, 2007
Revlimid is a chemical relative of thalidomide that affects several pathways in cancer cells, including immune mechanisms and blood vessel growth to tumors. Dexamethasone is a steroid hormone that counters inflammation and is used to treat hematologic malignancies such as myeloma. (EurekAlert!)
Celgene Shares Fall After Revlimid Study Disappoints (Update2) Dec 11, 2007
The drug, a derivative of the once-banned thalidomide, was upstaged by new results from a competitor, Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Velcade, he said. Celgene's drug was a ``resounding disappointment,'' in a study presented yesterday at a medical meeting, Raymond said. (Bloomberg)
Evidence Links Anemia Drugs With Leukemic Transformation In Patients With Primary Myelofibrosis Dec 11, 2007
13, 2004) From the late 1950s to the end of 1961, thalidomide was a popular sedative and treatment for morning sickness until it was discovered to cause fetal malformations, which proved fatal within the first. (Sep. (Science Daily)
Thalidomide Added to Standard Therapy Prolongs Overall Survival in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients Over Age 75 Dec 10, 2007
6 Month Overall Survival Advantage in Elderly Myeloma Patients when Thalidomide Is Added to Standard Therapy - Data Presented at the 49th American Society of Hematology Meeting ATLANTA, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pharmion Corporation (Nasdaq: PHRM) today announced final data from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial demonstrating that the addition of Thalidomide to standard treatment improves survival by 17 ... These data, along with results from 12 additional... (PR Newswire)
Research Provides Critical Insight into Improving Therapy for Difficult-to-Treat Blood Cancers Dec 10, 2007
This study suggests that lenalidomide and low dose dexamethasone should be first-line therapy, as the one-year survival rate in this study is far better than what has been reported in two phase III trials with thalidomide plus dexamethasone, which is an FDA-approved regimen. -- Chemotherapy standard of care challenged for advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma [Abstract #211] Volker Diehl, MD, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany With a median follow-up of nearly 10 years, Dr. Diehl and colleagues... (PR Newswire)
Twelve DOXIL(R) Clinical Studies to be Presented at American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting Dec 8, 2007
ATLANTA, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Ortho Biotech today announced that 12 clinical studies of DOXIL(R) (doxorubicin HCl pegylated liposome injection) will be presented at the 49th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) at the Georgia World Congress Center on December 8-11, 2007. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION BOXED WARNINGS Cardiotoxicity, infusion reaction, myelosuppression, liver impairment, Substitution -- The use of DOXIL may lead to cardiac toxicity. (PR Newswire)
