Public health measures such as vaccine and mask mandates, lockdowns and school closures have been widely discussed in scientific and popular media.
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As the COVID-19 pandemic fades, we may debate whether public health responses could have been better. But first we need to understand what public health errors are — and are not.
The first report linking thalidomide to birth malformations was made by Australian doctor William McBride. The drug led to thousands of instances of pregnancy loss, neonatal deaths and disability.
In addition to evaluating new drug applications, the FDA also inspects drug manufacturing facilities.
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As the government’s oldest consumer protection agency, the FDA has long butted up against drugmakers, activists and politicians. But undermining its work could be harmful to patient health and safety.
Drugs can convert between different isomers in the body, leading to unexpected effects.
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From thalidomide to resveratrol, molecules with the exact same chemical properties can have drastically different effects in the body depending on how they’re arranged in space.
Depending on how you look at it, drugs that can act on multiple targets could be a boon instead of a challenge.
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Gregory Way, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Many approved drugs work on the body in ways that researchers still aren’t entirely clear about. Seeing this as an opportunity instead of a flaw may lead to better treatments for complex conditions.
From thalidomide to Viagra, drug repurposing salvaged failed treatments by giving them new targets.
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Drug repurposing can redeem failed treatments and squeeze out new uses from others. But many pharmaceutical companies are hesitant to retool existing drugs without a high return on investment.
Exterior of the Pfizer World headquarters building. Pfizer produced the first COVID-19 vaccine to gain emergency use authorization.
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The FDA receives almost half its funding from companies it regulates, such as drug and medical device makers. Is this something you should be concerned about?
Harold Evans: one of the most respected journalists of his generation.
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As the measles outbreaks spread, public health officials are trying different measures to curb it. Yet there are limits to what they can do as they balance community safety and personal freedom.
An animal experiment in a laboratory of the pharmaceutical company “Chemie Gruenenthal,” which manufactured the drug Thalidomide, in West Germany in 1969. Thalidomide was prescribed by doctors as a mild sleeping pill and for relief of morning sickness but caused the miscarriage and birth of thousands of children with severe malformations globally.
(AP Photo/File)
A new book, ‘The Thalidomide Catastrophe,’ raises new questions about the conduct of corporations involved. It is the duty of governments to find out the answers.
Animals have played a pivotal role in countless life-saving discoveries.
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Virtually every medical therapy in use today owes its existence to animal experiments. But we can’t assume what works in animals will in humans. And sometimes, the mismatch can be dangerous.
About 3% of babies are born with birth defects, when there is a problem with how they develop in the womb.
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The randomised controlled trial is touted as the gold standard in medical research. But its controlled laboratory conditions are far removed from the messy realities of life.
The MHRA has opened an inquiry on the once popular pregnancy test pills. Did they really cause birth defects in children born in the 1970s?
A snapshot of 2015: health reviews, Health Check series, thalidomide series, Medicare versus private health insurance.
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This was the year of the health review – mental health care, Medicare, private health insurance, the pharmacy industry … and the list goes on. But how much movement was there on policy?
Melbourne woman Lynette Rowe is one of around 10,000 people born with thalidomide-related disabilities.
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Thalidomide was responsible for one of the biggest drug disasters in history. It is making a comeback. But is Africa equipped to handle this controversial drug?
Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Mater Health SEQ in conjoint appointment as Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Bond University and as Associate Professor (Clinical), The University of Queensland