<Maybe you've all thought this through already, but don't <Thalidomide's nightmare side-effects present a serious <problem for commercialization?
Frankly, thalidomides past has resulted in slow commercialization. The drugs launch has been slower than people would have liked, but much has to do with ensuring that the past horrors are not repeated, or at the least, minimized as much as possible. Much has to do with the tight prescription regulations attached to thalidomide, such as no refills, i.e. need a refill, you need a new prescription. Doctors also need to go through a "STEPS" program before prescribing it. STEPS is described in depth on the Celgene website.
<I've read newspaper stories (apologies, don't have the <references) saying T's use in Latin America against <leprosy has produced a new "outbreak" of birth defects <there.
If that's the case, that's really sad. But that said, Celgene is not responsible for Latin America as they sell exclusively in the US. The drug is about as tightly controlled as any non-narcotic drug in the US. If Doctor's prescribe responsibly, Celgene promotes responsibly and patients are well informed, hopefully tragedies can be averted or minimized as much as humanly possible.
Its no panacea or cure-all but the drug does work remarkably well in a few cancers, including multiple myeloma.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting thalidomide to be a blockbuster, but for Celgene stock to do well, it doesn't have to. |
