Edie started her treatment with Thalidomide and Dexamethasome yesterday, but what we never realized was just how tightly regulated Thalidomide use has become, and how many hoops she had to jump through to get the drug.
Not only did she have to fill out various forms and sign disclaimers about the drug, but she had to fill out a survey initiated by Celgene (the manufacturer of Thalidomide), which had to be reviewed and approve by Celgene before she could be given Thalidomide. (It appears Celgene doesn’t want a repeat of what happened several years ago, which resulted in birth defects attributed to Thalidomide.)
On top of that, because Thalidomide is so tightly regulated, only one of the several pharmacies in the Kaiser Bellflower/Imperial complex is authorized to dispense Thalidomide, and the interesting fact that I refer to in the title, stems from the fact.
The pharmacy chosen, Building D – Imperial site, was chosen because that is where the Dermatology Clinic is located, and Thalidomide is used in the treatment of Leprosy.
The obvious conclusion to be drawn from that, has to be that Leprosy is a greater problem in the Los Angeles area than Multiple Myeloma, and Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, where it is also being used in particular cases.
That sure was news to me! I didn’t even realize Leprosy was a concern, anywhere in the world, let alone LA, but that just goes to show you, how little I really know.
