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" Wonder Drug "

"The wonder of Thalidomide, created by West German drugmaker Gruenthal, was its initial claims to be an effective sedative without side effects." -Richard J. Tofel, member of Harvard Public Health’s advisory board, 2023

In 1953, the Swiss pharmaceutical company, CIBA, synthesized a new medication which was later obtained by Chemie Grunenthal, a German pharmaceutical company. Grunenthal labeled this medication Thalidomide, and obtained a patent for it in 1954. Just two years later, in 1956, Thalidomide was officially distributed to the public.

Thalidomide was originally developed as a tranquilizer. The seemingly harmless medication quickly grew in popularity, and was used in treating a wide range of conditions including colds, flus, and nausea. It was labeled a "cure all," but was widely used to alleviate morning sickness in pregnant women. Thalidomide ended up being distributed in a total of 46 countries. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Grünenthal research lab in Aachen around 1965, Grunenthal

Chemie Grunenthal thalidomide patent, Grunenthal, 1954

                                               Grunenthal research lab, CTV News 

Thalidomide was tested first on a wide range of animals, and then on humans in clinical trials. Despite the medication's primary consumers being pregnant women, Thalidomide was never tested for its effects on the development of human babies.   Thalidomide initially became an over-the-counter medication. 

"There were no guidelines for developing, producing, or marketing pharmaceuticals as there are today, neither in Germany nor in most other countries. The procedures for authorizing and monitoring medicines that we know today were only established after the Thalidomide tragedy." -Grunenthal, 2023

Prior to Thalidomide, there was virtually no protocol when creating a new medication. 

"Early laboratory tests in rodent populations showed that pregnant rodents could safely use it, so doctors prescribed Thalidomide to treat morning sickness in pregnant women."
~ Joanna Yang

"During early testing, researchers at the company found that it was virtually impossible to give test animals a lethal dose of the drug (based on the LD50 test). Largely based on this, the drug was deemed to be harmless to humans."
~ UK Science Museum 

  The First Case 

The first recorded victim of Thalidomide was a baby girl, born on December 25, 1956. She was born with phocomelia, a rare congenital malformation where the hand or foot is connected directly to the trunk of the body. She was the daughter of a Grunenthal employee who gave sample pills to his wife during pregnancy.​​​​​​​