Drug Summary

  Drug name:  thalidomide
  Chemical name:  (+/-)-thalidomide
  Formula:  C₁₃H₁₀N₂O_{4  Weight:   258.2295
  CAS no:  50-35-1
  DrugBank link:  DB01041
  Description:  A piperidinyl isoindole originally introduced as a non-barbiturate hypnotic, but withdrawn from the market due to teratogenic effects. It has been reintroduced and used for a number of immunological and inflammatory disorders. Thalidomide displays immunosuppresive and anti-angiogenic activity. It inhibits release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha from monocytes, and modulates other cytokine action. [PubChem]
  Indication:  For the acute treatment of the cutaneous manifestations of moderate to severe erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL). Also for use as maintenance therapy for prevention and suppression of the cutaneous manifestations of ENL recurrence.}