Thalidomide, used for multiple myeloma, is:

ThaThe thalidomide story could well have ended with the tragedy of bih defects in the early 1960s but for a serendipitous finding: in a patient with mania and leprosy, thalidomide given as a sedative dramatically improved the leprotic skin lesions. Despite the major drawbacks of thalidomide - teratogenicity and axonal neuropathy - the drug has acquired a unique, albeit limited, role in the treatment of severe, disabling conditions where standard anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive therapies have failed. Best studied amongst these are leprosy, Behcet&;s disease, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and some dermatoses . Thalidomide proves useful for skin lesions and multiple myeloma. Research into potential uses for thalidomide has determined that thalidomide may be an effective treatment for several conditions. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved thalidomide (Thalomid) for treating: Skin lesions caused by leprosy (erythema nodosum leprosum) Multiple myeloma REFERENCE: www.mayoclinic.org, www.medscape.com