Yeah, you expressed surprise when I've mentioned it before, and I reckon that most people probably have no idea it's still used.
It's used to treat leprosy and multiple myeloma, but due to the catastrophe of its early recommendation to treat morning sickness and the resultant birth defects, there are strict pregnancy prevention protocols around its use. It's a fascinating story, basically the entire drug regulation process in the UK and worldwide was developed as a result of what went really wrong with thalidomide. An act of parliament resulting from an inquiry into the thalidomide scandal resulted in the founding of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA), which is now the MHRA.

Extra interesting is that there was no thalidomide scandal in the USA, because of one woman - Frances Oldham Kelsey - who worked for the FDA. Well worth going down that rabbit hole, if you're interested.
(The Porcupine From Purgatory we of all lost both have them, Sat 28 Feb 2026, 20:34, archived)

That IS interesting

( Smash Monkey 2 Anyone know a good therapist in South Africa?, Sun 1 Mar 2026, 10:28, archived)