Not true about thalidomide :
Causes phocomelia
Not tested in pregnant animals before introduction
Still has restricted clinical use
Has no antiangiogenesis action against tumour
Thalidomide was banned in 1960 because of its teratogenic effect of phocomelia (seal-like limbs). It has anxiolytic, adjuvant analgesic/antipyretic properties and has been found to counteract cancer-associated cachexia.
Its mechanism of action is by suppressing TNF and or by modulating IL-2.
Recently it has been reintroduced as an antineoplastic drug due to its anti-angiogenesis action.