Talk:Thalidomide scandal

Split Article

| from = Thalidomide | to = Thalidomide scandal | date = 30 March 2020 - 2:33 GMT

--Atiru (talk) 02:34, 30 March 2020 (UTC)

Shouldn't this article mention the chirality of the different thalidomide molecules?

Headline. In popular culture, Walter White in breaking bad explains that it was a mirrored molecule that caused the side effects. I'm not schooled in chemistry or pharmaceuticals, but I do remember my highschool chem class making mention of a similar topic. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2605:A601:A92E:C701:66A2:F9FF:FEDC:AC8E (talk) 20:39, 2 August 2020 (UTC)

In living organism mirrored molecules of thalidomid racemizate one to another. There is no connection between izomers and side effects. --77.87.242.9 (talk) 10:56, 2 August 2021 (UTC)

This is mentioned in Thalidomide#Chirality and biological activity.

In this case I'd say it still makes sense to mention the misconception, if it is that. WofWca (talk) 07:38, 18 August 2024 (UTC)

Disputed origin

Conflicting accounts of the origin of the molecule: Synthesized by CIBA AG vs. developed by Ambros at Auschwitz? No primary source found for both assertions.

• https://www.oncozine.com/controversy-the-involvement-of-ciba-ag-in-the-development-of-thalidomide/
• https://ahrp.org/from-the-holocaust-to-thalidomide-a-nazi-legacy/
• https://www.healthworldnet.com/articles/the-best-of-the-best/the-first-seal-baby-the-real-story-of-thalidomide.html

Potential source for primary record:

• The Thalidomide Catastrophe: How it happened, who was responsible and why the search for justice continues after more than six decades Paperback – May 14, 2018 by Martin Johnson (Author), Raymond G. Stokes (Author), Tobias Arndt (Author)

Using as therapy against leprosy

In '70s was thalidomide used in South America. In Brasilia, there were hundreds of children born with defects. --77.87.242.9 (talk) 10:56, 2 August 2021 (UTC)

Birth defect crisis, paragraph 1, error?

The noted paragraph lists Grünenthal as a "soap" manufacturer, in relation to manufacturing penicillin. This seems like a machine-translation sort of error, confusing antibiotics for disinfectant and disinfectant for soap, or something of the like. But I am unsure, and am pointing it out so people who could know better can check.

Grünenthal was spun out of the Mäurer & Wirtz company. The Wirtz family (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirtz_(Familie)) founded Chemie Grünenthal, Dalli-Werke (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalli-Werke), and Mäurer & Wirtz.

The original company, Mäurer & Wirtz, was a soap, perfume, and cosmetics company. See:

• https://www.newsweek.com/nazis-and-thalidomide-worst-drug-scandal-all-time-64655
• https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/the-last-german-war-secret/news-story/3239ccc19ffa39bd03850c67f4f7f7a3 Atiru (talk) 02:46, 25 August 2021 (UTC)

dead link -- alternative links

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=+%22Thalidomide%3A+The+Fifty+Year+Fight%22+video

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3f1r17 AND requires log-in https://vimeo.com/151123264 46.24.26.231 (talk) 05:50, 20 January 2023 (UTC)

I don't think that I can correctly edit the article. Can someone else do it? Thanks 46.24.26.231 (talk) 01:17, 23 January 2023 (UTC)

incorrect statement

in the article it says: "There are no known thalidomide babies born in East Germany." --> from what I understand that's not what the source says

in fact, the given source states: "Obwohl die Nachmeldefrist für DDR-Conterganopfer 1993 endete, hat sich Margit Hudelmaier zufolge erst unlängst ein Betroffener gemeldet, dem die Experten Contergan-Schädigungen bescheinigten." = "Although the late registration period for GDR thalidomide victims ended in 1993, according to Margit Hudelmaier, only recently has an affected person come forward who has been certified by the experts as having suffered thalidomide damage" 2A0A:4587:2032:622:D9A4:405A:BB26:E4E3 (talk) 12:52, 21 May 2025 (UTC)

I added a link to a wikipedia article about the South korean humidifier disinfectant case

I added a link to the South korean humidifier disinfectant case, because it is also large, if not bigger in scope and it also involves health, therefore it makes sense to put it, also it is obscure outside south korea so it is needed for others to know about it, The South Korean humidifier disinfectant case was an outbreak of lung diseases in South Korea, caused by chemicals, such as PHMG, among other chemicals, contained in dozens of humidifier disinfectants, The South Korean government officially recognized 1,814 dead and 7,837 injured victims, however, according to Korea national apparatus, Social Disasters Commission, including unreported cases, estimated 20,366 deaths, 950,000 health damages, and 8,940,000 exposures occurred between 1994 and 2011 due to PHMG only. ~2025-43053-85 (talk) 16:53, 11 January 2026 (UTC)