Dark remedy

"Thalidomide. The word alone evokes horror from those who recall the epidemic of birth defects that swept the world in the early 1960s: Thousands of women took the "safe" new drug as a sleep aid or to relieve morning sickness, only to find that their infants were born with stunted limbs, or sometimes no limbs at all.". "In this medical detective story, scientist Trent Stephens and historian Rock Brynner show how thalidomide rose out of the horror of the Second World War into the brave new world of utopian science. In the process, they introduce us to an unforgettable array of characters, including the former Nazi medical officer who developed thalidomide and the indomitable FDA official who prevented it from reaching American mothers. From an industrial lab in Germany to the White House Rose Garden, from a trial in the House of Lords to a Senate chamber, from a brewery in England to a Louisiana leper colony, Dark Remedy traces the epic journey of this most peculiar drug.". "But thalidomide isn't just a drug with a past. Scientists are now finding it to be an indispensable medicine for those with rare, chronic, or life-threatening diseases - everything from cancer to rheumatoid arthritis to conditions that devastate the immune system. Dark Remedy brings the story of thalidomide into the twenty-first century as a handful of scientists - Stephens among them - finally begin to unravel the drug's mysterious mechanisms. If they succeed, it will open up new vistas for drug researchers, leading to alternative medicines that capture thalidomide's healing properties without its cruel side effects, or to new therapies entirely."--BOOK JACKET.