Frankie: The Woman Who Saved Millions from Thalidomide
Thalidomide: patented in Germany as a non-toxic cure-all for sleeplessness and morning sickness. A wonder drug with no side-effects.
We know differently now.
Today, thalidomide is a byword for tragedy and drug reform – a sign of what happens when things aren’t done ‘the right way’. But when it was released in the 1950s, it was the best thing since penicillin – something that doctors were encouraged to prescribe to all of their patients. Nobody could anticipate what it actually did: induce sleeping, prevent morning sickness, and drastically harm unborn children.
But, whilst thalidomide rampaged and ravaged throughout most of the West, it never reached the United States. It landed on the desk of Dr Frances Kelsey, and there it stayed as she battled hierarchy, patriarchy, and the Establishment in an effort to prove that it was dangerous. Frankie is her story.
Purchase Links
https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/frankie/9780750991919/
My Review
Thanks to the publishers and authors for my copy of this book and to Rachel’s Random Resources for organising this blog tour.
Thalidomide was first released on to the world in Germany in the late 1950s; by 1960 it was in use in Britain and other European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and unofficially in South America. The USA hadn’t passed it for use, however Merrell, the licensee in the US and Canada, had passed out samples to doctors to try out on their patients. When the FDA received their New Drug Application, it was passed to M. D. and pharmacologist Dr Francis Oldham Kelsey. She was new to the FDA, a medical officer, with responsibility for checking the NDAs sent by drug companies. Something was ‘peculiar’ about the application, was badly supported by evidence and both Dr Kelsey and her colleagues felt that more was needed.
Approximately 18 months later, after the company had put massive amounts of pressure on the FDA without success, Merrell finally withdrew their application. News had arrived from Germany, Britain and Australia of serious side-effects if thalidomide was taken in early pregnancy.
Dr Lanz of the Kinderklinik in Hamburg had studied the sudden increase in births of children with a particular disability and in December 1960 his results were published in a letter in The Lancet. Meanwhile, in Australia, Dr McBride had noticed the same thing and in mid-1961 sent his own letter to The Lancet. In October 1961, Dr Kelsey’s feeling that something was ‘peculiar’ with the drug was vindicated.
It was never allowed in to the general market, however there were still 17 thalidomide babies born to women who took the drug thanks to Merrell supplying the drug to doctors. As a result, new amendments to the Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1932 were signed into law in 1962, to stop pharmaceutical companies from providing untested drugs and making safety tests more stringent.
While Dr Oldham Kelsey didn’t have anything to do with proving that thalidomide was responsible for the birth defects and still births, her work prevented more victims and forced the US government to take drug testing and development seriously. She was highly decorated for this yet spent her life continuing her work with a quiet pride and humility. Others fated her and called her a heroine. A school in her home province in Canada and a US government award for women working in government services were named after her.
It’s an good story. A story of greed vs scientific scrutiny, of personal integrity vs corporate interests.
I liked the use of primary sources and Dr Oldham Kelsey’s own memoir in the writing of this book. I also liked that the authors put the particular episode in the context of Francis’ life and the general development and international use of thalidomide as a drug. The writing is easy to read and flows well. It’s a good general introduction to the subject using an individual as a fulcrum for the story.
However, I felt there were occasions when the primary sources could have been summarised and used more effectively, with full transcripts left for the appendices. There were also repeated use of unfortunate language when discussing people with thalidomide syndrome.
Author Bio –
JAMES ESSINGER is the author of non-fiction books that focus on STEM subjects and personalities, including Charles and Ada (The History Press) and Ada’s Algorithm (Gibson Square), the latter of which has been optioned for a film. He lives in Canterbury.
SANDRA KOUTZENKO is a bilingual writer whose work spans a variety of categories and topics, ranging from French poetry to English non-fiction, focusing on human nature and the conflict between its potential for greatness and its propensity for destruction.
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