For what indications is thalidomide currently marketed?
Drug repositioning, exemplified by sildenafil and thalidomide, is a promising way to explore alternative indications for existing drugs. THE USE OF A DRUG WITH A TEMPORARY MARKETING AUTHORISATION: Thalidomide is currently available in France for nominative or cohort use with a temporary marketing authorisation (TMA). Currently, it is used for a few indications; in Brazil, where leprosy is endemic, thalidomide is used for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum, and recent cases of thalidomide embryopathy have been reported.We analyzed the frequency of births with phenotypes consistent with thalidomide embryopathy (TEP) and correlated this with the distribution of thalidomide and the prevalence of leprosy between 2005 and 2010 in Brazil.A total of 5,889,210 thalidomide tablets were distributed; the prevalence of limb reduction defects was 1.60 (CI95%: 1.54-1.66) and TEP was 0.11 (CI95%: 0.10-0.13) Currently it includes a group of new drugs (immunosuppressives tacrolimus mycophenolate, thalidomide, biologic therapy, probiotics, neuroinflammation blockers), new treatment techniques (cytaphereses, sequential immunosuppression, immunosuppression with high doses), and finally new indications (chemoprophylaxis). A review of the therapeutic indications for thalidomide in dermatology as well as the mechanisms of action and side-effects of this drug are presented.