Washington - Thalidomide, once notorious for causing horrendous birth defects, won approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday for use against leprosy.
Made by a New Jersey-based company, Celgene, under the brand name Thalomid, it is approved for a painful side-effect of leprosy. But, under the so-called off-label system, it can be prescribed for anything. Doctors are using it experimentally against cancer, autoimmune diseases ranging from lupus to rheumatoid arthritis, symptoms of AIDS and tuberculosis.
