I think I’m going to shut up about my various ailments now…

[Tim Marlow]

Just seen this on the BBC news…..absolutely inspiring :surprised: :surprised: :surprised:. I am not complaining about my health ever again!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-59312659

[rtfoe]

Truly amazing.

There goes my complaints of sweaty palms. Thanks for sharing this Tim.

Cheers,
Richard

[Jim R]

Unbelievable. What some people are capable of achieving despite seemingly insurmountable difficulties.
Inspiring.
Jim

[adt70hk]

I saw that earlier but didn't have the chance to look at it.... As you say amazing..... And so inspiring.

I used to work with a victim of Thalidomide. In his case his legs were unaffected but his arms effectively stopped at his elbows, where his hands - also misformed - were connected. It was amazing to watch him cope with the minimal of adjustments to his PC set up.

He was very open about how Thalidomide affected his day to day life and the longer term problems he would be facing e.g. greatly increased wear to certain joints because they were having to pull in ways not intended by nature because of the malformation..... And yet he never complained.....

[Tim Marlow]

Thalidomide was an awful mistake that blighted many lives. Anyone born between 1957 and 1961 that was not affected probably dodged a bullet. It was heavily marketed as a treatment for morning sickness in pregnancy, and was available over the counter off prescription.
It is probably not widely known outside the industry, but thalidomide is one of the medical disasters directly responsible for drug production law changes. The rigorous and thorough pharmaceutical testing regimes embodied in the FDA and MRHA independent accreditation requirements that are needed to market modern drugs are directly descended from this sad affair.

[adt70hk]

Thalidomide was an awful mistake that blighted many lives. Anyone born between 1957 and 1961 that was not affected probably dodged a bullet. It was heavily marketed as a treatment for morning sickness in pregnancy, and was available over the counter off prescription.
It is probably not widely known outside the industry, but thalidomide is one of the medical disasters directly responsible for drug production law changes. The rigorous and thorough pharmaceutical testing regimes embodied in the FDA and MRHA independent accreditation requirements that are needed to market modern drugs are directly descended from this sad affair.

Couldn't have put it better.

I read somewhere fairly recently that it is still used for the treatment of certain ailments - with the appropriate controls in place of course. I'll try and find it when I get 5 minutes.

[Tim Marlow]

It’s on the WHO list of essential medicines Andrew. Still used for cancer treatment I think…..

[adt70hk]

. Still used for cancer treatment I think…..

That was it..... Just had a quick check and see it is also used in the treatment of leprosy....

[Guest]

Thalidomide was an awful mistake that blighted many lives. Anyone born between 1957 and 1961 that was not affected probably dodged a bullet. It was heavily marketed as a treatment for morning sickness in pregnancy, and was available over the counter off prescription.

The thing is, it was really effective for that. It just had the unfortunate, and undiscovered, side effect that (IIRC) one of the two isomers causes birth defects.

This sort of thing goes for a lot of chemistry: leaded fuels are really good at making engines run better, but of course they have the unfortunate side effect of slowly killing everything. CFCs are really good refrigerants, solvents, fire extinguishers and more, but … And so on. We appear to have at least learned something from the past, though, where it comes to this sort of thing.

[Tim Marlow]

Big difference between the Pharma industry and the Petro and Chem industries is the way they are regulated Jakko. Petro took eighty years or so to eliminate lead from petrol, and Chem took a similar length of time long to withdraw CFCs. Pharma took four years to withdraw thalidomide and was given (rightly) the tightest manufacturing and marketing regulations of any industry in the world as a result.

[The Smythe Meister]

And i always thought that the Drummer,Rick Allen,(Of Def Leppard fame),was inspiring by keeping going after losing his arm back in `84......
.... I mean to say.... A ONE ARMED DRUMMER?!! :astonished::flushed:
But this goes to another level completely!!
Andy

[Guest]

Big difference between the Pharma industry and the Petro and Chem industries is the way they are regulated

Of course. My remarks were meant to illustrate that chemistry on a large scale frequently has side effects that aren’t expected or were waved away as not important in the past. Hopefully, that won’t happen too much anymore, but only time will tell, really.

the Drummer,Rick Allen,(Of Def Leppard fame)