How does thalidomide work with multiple myeloma?
DeMonaco: A couple of early studies published in the late 1990s found that thalidomide can result in full or partial remission in up to two-thirds to three-fourths of patients who have no success with the traditional treatments of steroids and chemotherapy. Even in those folks with fairly significant disease, the drug has produced remissions for up to a year. Q: But what about the possibility of birth defects? DeMonaco: The good news is that the drug company and the FDA really did a very nice job of ensuring that the drug was going to be used in a controlled fashion. To prescribe or dispense the drug, doctors and pharmacists have to go through fairly rigorous education and training program called S.T.E.P.S. System for Thalidomide Education and Prescribing Safety. In addition, no patients can receive the drug unless they also undergo education through the S.T.E.P.S. program, which includes a great deal of information about birth control and pregnancy testing. Women of childbearing age h
