Lesson Plan: Thalidomide: From Tragedy to Treatment
Grades 9-12
Thalidomide was first sold in the late 1950s as a sedative and remedy for morning sickness. Before its harmful effects on fetal development were understood, the drug was widely used, leading to thousands of birth defects worldwide. Withdrawn soon after, thalidomide later reemerged as a carefully regulated treatment for conditions like multiple myeloma, leprosy and Crohn’s disease. This video explores how one drug came to have such different outcomes and what safeguards are in place today to prevent another medical disaster.
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