{"id":2721,"date":"2021-01-24T17:00:20","date_gmt":"2021-01-24T14:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mozartcultures.com\/en\/?p=2721"},"modified":"2021-01-24T17:08:00","modified_gmt":"2021-01-24T14:08:00","slug":"the-thalidomide-tragedy-worst-men-made-disaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mozartcultures.com\/en\/the-thalidomide-tragedy-worst-men-made-disaster\/","title":{"rendered":"The Thalidomide Tragedy: Worst Men-Made Disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"

The<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>thalidomide<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>disaster<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>probably<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>destroyed<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>more<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>than<\/span><\/span>\u00a0100.000\u00a0<\/span><\/span>babies<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>injured<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>million<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>adults<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"\"Thalidomide<\/span><\/span> is a\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>drug<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>developed<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the<\/span><\/span> 1950s <\/span><\/span>by<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the<\/span><\/span> West <\/span><\/span>German <\/span><\/span>pharmaceutical <\/span><\/span>company <\/span><\/span>Chemie <\/span><\/span>Gr\u00fcnenthal. <\/span><\/span>The<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>German<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>company<\/span><\/span> C<\/span><\/span>hemie<\/span><\/span> G<\/span><\/span>r\u00fcnenthal<\/span><\/span> had <\/span><\/span>been <\/span><\/span>a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>soap,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>perfume<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>manufacturer<\/span><\/span>. But in 1964, <\/span><\/span>it\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>diversified<\/span><\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/span>to<\/span><\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/span>exploit<\/span><\/span>\u00a0 a <\/span><\/span>voracious<\/span><\/span> postwar<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>demand<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>for<\/span><\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/span>antibiotics<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>and<\/span><\/span> sedatives<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>German firm <\/span><\/span>Gr\u00fcnenthal<\/span><\/span>\u00a0announced in 1957 that it developed a drug for sleep problems and morning sickness in pregnant women and stated that this drug can be used safely in pregnant women. The active ingredient of the drug, released under the name\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Contergan<\/span><\/span>, was thalidomide.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 Over time, various side effects that were not recorded began to occur in people using the drug. Side effects such as peripheral neuropathy, weakness, constipation, headache and muscle aches soon became common complaints. But the main devastating factor came from the birth of pregnant women.
\n\"\" Various anomalies were detected in the babies of women who used thalidomide during pregnancy.\u00a0The most common congenital dysfunction were children born with undeveloped arms and legs. The children had to live with a lot of support equipment due to their imperfect development.
\n\u00a0 The firm was behind the <\/span><\/span>Contergan<\/span><\/span>\u00a0drug to the end.<\/span><\/span> Eventually, these serious side effects started to be heard around the world with the help of the media.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>In 1962, all\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Contergan<\/span><\/span>\u00a0drugs with thalidomide active ingredients were withdrawn from the market.<\/span><\/span> But it was too late for families affected by the medical disaster and for thalidomide victims.<\/span><\/span> Babies born with defects after the tragedy had to continue their lives with a predisposition to various bone disorders and serious heart diseases at later ages.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After the horrible side effects of the drug came to light, some countries that licensed the drug for sale filed a claim for damages against <\/span><\/span>Chemie<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Gr\u00fcnenthal<\/span><\/span>. Which is also located in the United States and Turkey, was not the disaster some countries that do not license the drug<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Today, <\/span><\/span>thalidomide<\/span><\/span> continues to be used in the treatment of various diseases.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>After this disaster, radical changes and innovations were made in the control, marketing, and experimentation process of drugs. The supervisory bodies have approved the marketing of the drug only with an auditable risk assessment and mitigation strategy that makes people using the drug aware of the risks.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nAlso, considered one of the best Bach performers in the world today, Grammy award-winning, 1959-born Thomas <\/span><\/span>Quasthoff<\/span><\/span> is among the first victims of Thalidomide. You can watch his show below.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n