Mayo Clinic checking Thalidomide as cancer fighter
ROCHESTER, MI - July 14 - United Press International disclosed Thalidomide, banned in the early 1960s for its link to birth defects, is coming back as a possible cancer treatment, U.S. researchers said.Thalidomide was a popular sedative and treatment for morning sickness until it was discovered to cause fetal malformations, which proved fatal within the first year of life in 40% of affected infants. The drug was never marketed in the U.S. or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but researchers recognized the drug's properties might have cancer-fighting potential. This possibility has driven promising studies into Thalidomide's role in fighting blood disorders, such as multiple myeloma, a deadly cancer for which there is no cure. Mayo Clinic researchers said four new studies have probed Thalidomide's promising future after its tragic past. Based on those studies, researchers said clinical trials should be performed using Thalidomide to determine whether it will find new applications as an anti-cancer agent or will be superseded by newer and safer medications.