Thalidomide May Help Kids With Crohn's Disease
Thalidomide May Help Kids With Crohn's Disease
Food and Drug Administration approved the use of thalidomide to treat a complication of leprosy, and the drug was approved in 2006 to treat multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow. Thalidomide is currently being studied as a treatment for a number of inflammatory diseases, but in all cases where the drug is used, any woman of reproductive age must be counseled on the potential for serious birth defects should she become pregnant while on thalidomide. The March of Dimes reports that even one dose of thalidomide can cause birth defects. Males taking the drug should use condoms because thalidomide can also affect the sperm quality. The current study looked at what effect, if any, thalidomide could have on Crohn's disease in children and adolescents. A total of 54 children with moderate to severe Crohn's disease were included in the study. All of the children had received other treatments for Crohn's that had failed to control their disease. Twenty-eight children received thalidomide and 26 were given a placebo for eight weeks. Those who hadn't shown improvement while on placebo for eight weeks were switched to thalidomide for an additional eight weeks. Any of the children who responded to thalidomide therapy remained on it for at least 52 weeks, according to the study. Children or teens taking thalidomide were more likely to achieve a remission of their disease, and the remission was likely to last far longer than a remission achieved while on placebo, the study found. she said http://www.newsday.com/news/health/thalidomide-may-help-kids-with-crohn-s-disease-1.6501798
Thalidomide was first used in the late 1950s as a treatment for insomnia, anxiety and morning sickness, according to the March of Dimes. It was approved for use in Europe, Japan, Canada and Australia, but never in the United States. By the early 1960s, it was apparent that the drug caused significant birth defects, including severely malformed or missing arms and legs. The medication was quickly withdrawn from the market. It remained off the market for a significant time until researchers realized that the drug had other uses, particularly for dampening an overactive immune system. And if care was taken to ensure that no one who might be pregnant or become pregnant took the drug, its other side effects were less serious, according to the March of Dimes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of thalidomide to treat a complication of leprosy, and the drug was approved in 2006 to treat multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow. Thalidomide is currently being studied as a treatment for a number of inflammatory diseases, but in all cases where the drug is used, any woman of reproductive age must be counseled on the potential for serious birth defects should she become pregnant while on thalidomide. The March of Dimes reports that even one dose of thalidomide can cause birth defects. Males taking the drug should use condoms because thalidomide can also affect the sperm quality. The current study looked at what effect, if any, thalidomide could have on Crohn's disease in children and adolescents. A total of 54 children with moderate to severe Crohn's disease were included in the study. All of the children had received other treatments for Crohn's that had failed to control their disease. visit this page http://www.philly.com/philly/health/topics/HealthDay682528_20131126_Thalidomide_May_Help_Kids_With_Crohn_s_Disease.html
Food and Drug Administration approved the use of thalidomide to treat a complication of leprosy, and the drug was approved in 2006 to treat multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow. Thalidomide is currently being studied as a treatment for a number of inflammatory diseases, but in all cases where the drug is used, any woman of reproductive age must be counseled on the potential for serious birth defects should she become pregnant while on thalidomide. The March of Dimes reports that even one dose of thalidomide can cause birth defects. Males taking the drug should use condoms because thalidomide can also affect the sperm quality. The current study looked at what effect, if any, thalidomide could have on Crohn's disease in children and adolescents. A total of 54 children with moderate to severe Crohn's disease were included in the study. All of the children had received other treatments for Crohn's that had failed to control their disease. Twenty-eight children received thalidomide and 26 were given a placebo for eight weeks. Those who hadn't shown improvement while on placebo for eight weeks were switched to thalidomide for an additional eight weeks. Any of the children who responded to thalidomide therapy remained on it for at least 52 weeks, according to the study. Children or teens taking thalidomide were more likely to achieve a remission of their disease, and the remission was likely to last far longer than a remission achieved while on placebo, the study found. she said http://www.newsday.com/news/health/thalidomide-may-help-kids-with-crohn-s-disease-1.6501798
Thalidomide was first used in the late 1950s as a treatment for insomnia, anxiety and morning sickness, according to the March of Dimes. It was approved for use in Europe, Japan, Canada and Australia, but never in the United States. By the early 1960s, it was apparent that the drug caused significant birth defects, including severely malformed or missing arms and legs. The medication was quickly withdrawn from the market. It remained off the market for a significant time until researchers realized that the drug had other uses, particularly for dampening an overactive immune system. And if care was taken to ensure that no one who might be pregnant or become pregnant took the drug, its other side effects were less serious, according to the March of Dimes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of thalidomide to treat a complication of leprosy, and the drug was approved in 2006 to treat multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow. Thalidomide is currently being studied as a treatment for a number of inflammatory diseases, but in all cases where the drug is used, any woman of reproductive age must be counseled on the potential for serious birth defects should she become pregnant while on thalidomide. The March of Dimes reports that even one dose of thalidomide can cause birth defects. Males taking the drug should use condoms because thalidomide can also affect the sperm quality. The current study looked at what effect, if any, thalidomide could have on Crohn's disease in children and adolescents. A total of 54 children with moderate to severe Crohn's disease were included in the study. All of the children had received other treatments for Crohn's that had failed to control their disease. visit this page http://www.philly.com/philly/health/topics/HealthDay682528_20131126_Thalidomide_May_Help_Kids_With_Crohn_s_Disease.html
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