Thalidomide is now available as an investigational drug in the USA. A synthetic 
derivative of glutamic acid, it was marketed in Europe in 1957 as a sedative but 
withdrawn four years later after being associated with severe human 
teratogenicity (PF D'Arcy and JP Griffin, Adverse Drug React Toxicol Rev, 13:65, 
1994). The drug has since been found effective for several different 
indications.