Horizon Season 1998 Episode 17 Thalidomide: A Necessary Evil

Thalidomide: A Necessary Evil is the seventeenth episode of the 1998 season of the popular BBC science documentary show, Horizon. This episode is a deep dive into the story behind the drug thalidomide, which was prescribed to millions of people in the 1950s and 60s before it was discovered that it caused serious birth defects in infants.

The episode explores the early history of thalidomide, which was first developed in Germany as a treatment for anxiety and insomnia. It wasn't until the drug was picked up by a British pharmaceutical company in the late 1950s that it started to be used as a treatment for morning sickness in pregnant women. At the time, there were few effective treatments for morning sickness, and thalidomide seemed like a miracle drug - it was easy to use and produced fast, effective results.

However, it wasn't long before doctors started to notice a disturbing pattern - many of the women who took thalidomide during their pregnancies gave birth to babies with serious birth defects. Some babies had missing or deformed limbs, while others had other serious health problems that made it difficult for them to survive for long.

In Thalidomide: A Necessary Evil, Horizon explores the complex ethical and scientific questions that arose in the aftermath of this discovery. For example, was the drug tested thoroughly enough before it was approved for use, or were pharmaceutical companies too eager to rush a new treatment to market without fully understanding its potential risks? Should the government have done more to regulate the use of thalidomide, or was it too difficult to predict the consequences of a new drug on such a large scale?

The episode also looks at some of the individuals affected by thalidomide, including people who were born with birth defects as a result of their mothers' use of the drug, as well as people who took thalidomide themselves after it was approved for use as a treatment for leprosy and other diseases. These personal stories add a compelling human dimension to the episode, providing a glimpse into the lives of people who have been affected by thalidomide in different ways.

As the title suggests, Thalidomide: A Necessary Evil also examines the difficult question of whether thalidomide might still have a role to play in modern medicine. In recent years, thalidomide has been found to be effective in treating a variety of conditions, from cancer to HIV/AIDS. However, given its history, the idea of using thalidomide again raises serious ethical questions that are not easily answered.

Overall, Thalidomide: A Necessary Evil is a thought-provoking episode of Horizon that explores the complex and often contentious issues surrounding one of the most notorious drugs in history. From the early days of thalidomide's development to the ongoing debate over its potential future use, this episode is a fascinating look at a story that has shaped the way we think about medicine and drug regulation.