Thalidomide families fought a decades-long battle that won compensation only after a press and parliamentary campaign

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supplementary video · The Bone Museum on YouTube ↗

money & economicsWellcome Collection1961–1970s · United Kingdom

Thalidomide families fought a decades-long battle that won compensation only after a press and parliamentary campaign

the gist

Thalidomide, sold in Britain by Distillers as Distaval, caused severe birth defects in babies whose mothers took it in pregnancy, and was withdrawn in Britain in 1961. Yet for years little was done to help the affected children. From 1962, parents formed groups and began a decades-long fight in the courts, the press and Parliament. The company was reluctant to admit responsibility and the government slow to offer support, so families had to take on the pharmaceutical industry themselves. Pressure, including a Sunday Times campaign in the 1970s, eventually forced a larger compensation settlement and a trust fund for survivors.

so what

The thalidomide disaster led to modern drug-safety laws, including tougher testing and regulation of new medicines. The families' fight is an early example of patients organising to hold powerful companies to account.

the bigger pattern

Drug disasters have repeatedly produced new safety law: the 1937 Elixir Sulfanilamide deaths led to the US Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938, and thalidomide led to the 1962 Kefauver-Harris amendments.

fun fact

Thalidomide is still used today under strict controls, for conditions including leprosy complications and multiple myeloma.

more on this

background

Thalidomide, sold under the brand names Contergan, Distaval and Thalomid among others, is an oral administered medication used to treat a number of cancers (e.g., multiple myeloma), graft-versus-host disease, and skin disorders (e.g., complications of leprosy such as skin lesions). Thalidomide has been used to treat conditions associated with HIV: aphthous ulcers, HIV-associated wasting syndrome, diarrhea, and Kaposi's sarcoma, but increases in HIV viral load have been reported.

Common side effects include sleepiness, rash, and dizziness. Severe side effects include tumor lysis syndrome, blood clots, and peripheral neuropathy. Thalidomide is a human teratogen and carries a high risk of severe, life-threatening birth defects if administered or taken during pregnancy. It causes skeletal deformities such as amelia (absence of legs and/or arms), absence of bones, and phocomelia (malformation of the limbs). A single dose of thalidomide, regardless of dosage, is enough to cause teratogenic effects.

From Wikipedia: Thalidomide (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗ · text CC BY-SA 4.0

see

Gadogado123, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Valliappan Kannappan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wellcome Collection · CC BY 4.0

source: Wellcome Collection ↗

politics

Trump and Netanyahu reportedly clash over whether to resume military action against Iran

the gist

Israeli reports also say the cabinet directed the military to prepare for a possible new attack on Iran.

so what

The United States and Israel have been closely aligned on Iran's nuclear programme and regional threats, so open disagreement between their leaders over military strategy is unusual and closely watched. Whether to resume strikes is a decision with consequences for shipping, oil markets and the wider Middle East.

fun fact

Benjamin Netanyahu has served as Prime Minister of Israel for more years in total than any other person.

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Data: GDELT Project

Illustrative photo · Israel Belkind and Fanny Abramovitch (original) “The Provis…, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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supplementary video · Epimetheus on YouTube ↗

world cultures & travelWikivoyageclassic9th–15th century · Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor was the largest pre-industrial city on Earth, covering about 3,000 square kilometres

the gist

Angkor, near Siem Reap in northern Cambodia, was the capital of the Khmer Empire, which ruled much of mainland Southeast Asia between roughly the 9th and 15th centuries. At its height the city spread across about 3,000 square kilometres, making it the largest pre-industrial city on Earth by area. Its growth depended on water: huge reservoirs called barays, along with canals and embankments, stored monsoon rain and carried it to rice fields. That system let farmers harvest more than once a year and fed a very large population through the dry season. The temple complex of Angkor Wat, built in the early 12th century, is the best-known monument and still stands at the heart of the park.

how it works

The Khmer kings built enormous rectangular reservoirs that caught monsoon rain during the wet season. Earthen dykes and canals moved that water into rice paddies, so farmers could grow crops across much of the year. The surplus food supported craftsmen, builders and the workforce that raised the temples.

so what

Angkor shows how a society without industrial machinery could build a city on a scale that rivals modern metropolises, using engineering and water management instead. Some historians link its decline to drought, flooding and shifts in its water systems, which makes it a long-running case study in how cities depend on managing water. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological landscapes in Southeast Asia.

fun fact

The outline of Angkor Wat appears on the national flag of Cambodia.