In refusing to approve the drug thalidomide, FDA scientist Frances Oldham Kelsey spared thousands of babies from deadly birth defects and revolutionized drug research. But was her legacy all good?

The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean

samkean@gmail.com (Sam Kean)

The Woman Who “Turned Back a Plague of Old Testament Proportions”

NOV 12, 202419 MIN
The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean

The Woman Who “Turned Back a Plague of Old Testament Proportions”

NOV 12, 202419 MIN

Description

In refusing to approve the drug thalidomide, FDA scientist Frances Oldham Kelsey spared thousands of babies from deadly birth defects and revolutionized drug research. But was her legacy all good?