[thedoc (OP)]

It’s 50 years this year since the drug thalidomide was withdrawn from sale after it was linked to birth defects but Neil Vargesson has been trying to find out how it works in order to produce a safer version...
 Read a transcript of the interview by clicking here

or [chapter podcast=3571 track=11.08.28/Naked_Scientists_Show_11.08.28_8895.mp3] Listen to it now[/chapter] or [download as MP3]

[Good article]

Every year in the United States, approximately 150,000 babies are born with structural, functional, or metabolic birth defects. Birth defects are congenital conditions or abnormalities that are present at birth, which may have been caused by certain genetic or environmental (non-genetic) risk factors.

While almost 60 percent of all birth defects have an undetermined cause, genetic and environmental risk factors such as teratogenic drugs and medications including thalidomide have been known to cause serious and sometimes fatal birth defects.

Source:  SPAMMY LINK (no thanks!)