disruptions and teratogens

alcím alatt a nyugtatóként és a reggeli rosszullétek ellen felírt thaliomide-ről és az általa okozott phocomeliaról olvashat a kedves olvasó a development könyv bevezetőjében. Szép kis történet az "itt ez a jó kis vegyület, talán valamire jó lesz"-ről:
A small German pharmaceutical company, Chemie Grünenthal at Stolberg, synthesized thalidomide in West Germany in 1953 while searching for an inexpensive method of manufacturing antibiotics from peptides. By heating phthaloylisoglutamine, the company's chief researcher produced phthalimidoglutarimide, which they soon labeled 'thalidomide.' Chemie Grünenthal patented the molecule and began searching for a disease thalidomide could cure.
The Grünenthal scientists could not find any antibiotic activity, or any other encouraging effects, in mice and rats. However, they saw that the new chemical seemed to be harmless; outrageously high doses did not kill rodents, rabbits, cats, or dogs. In addition, the animals showed no other side effects. The research team began to describe thalidomide as "nontoxic," and Grünenthal began to consider the lucrative prospects of their new find. Notably, although no sedative or tranquilizing effects were observed in animals, Grünenthal management considered "a nonlethal sedative would have enormous market potential."
With only these animal tests, no clinical trial plans, and no scientific rationale, Grünenthal began distributing free samples of thalidomide to doctors in Switzerland and West Germany in 1955. It was first recommended for the prevention of seizures in patients with epilepsy; although no anticonvulsant effect was found, patients reported experiencing a deep sleep. Other patients said they felt calming and soothing effects. Some reported side effects, but they were not believed to be serious.[3] One author later said that "Thalidomide was introduced by the method of Russian Roulette. Practically nothing was known about the drug at the time of its marketing."
Thalidomide could not be sold in West Germany until its effects on animals were documented ? usually effects of a drug are demonstrated on animals before the drug is administered to humans, but thalidomide was not tested that way. The sedative effects had not been seen in animals, so the Grünenthal scientists came up with a "jiggle cage" to measure the movements of mice to see if treated mice "jiggled" the cage less than non-treated mice. Grünenthal also pointed out that their "powerful hypnotic drug was completely safe.
An employee of Chemie Grünenthal brought home samples of the new drug for his pregnant wife, and ten months before thalidomide was put on the market in Germany, on Christmas Day in 1956, their child was born ? without ears. Years later, the father learned that his daughter was the first living victim of the epidemic of thalidomide-induced infant malformations and deaths.
The company began selling the drug over the counter in Germany in October 1957, under the brand name Contergan. The company claimed that "Even a determined suicide could not take enough Contergan to cause death" and "accidental overdoses by children would be unheard of with this drug." Soon the drug was being sold in 46 countries under "at least 37 names," without any additional independent testing, and was the drug of choice for pregnant women with morning sickness. Not one of those statements turned out to be true.
Unusual side effects had been reported by patients taking thalidomide in the UK, including peripheral neuropathy. Worse, pregnant women who had taken the drug were giving birth to babies with a condition called phocomelia ? abnormally short limbs with toes sprouting from the hips and flipper-like arms. Other infants had eye and ear defects or malformed internal organs such as unsegmented small or large intestines. Chemie Grünenthal denied that thalidomide was responsible for any of these problems. In 1959, Grünenthal responded to one doctor's inquiry by saying, "We have no idea how these cases... could have been caused by Contergan."...
from wikipedia