Table 1.

Selected example publications in the last 20 years commenting on the anti-emetic effects of thalidomide (THD). in pregnancy Bold text is our highlighting of key phrases. The publications illustrate either the lack of a reference to studies reporting data on anti-emetic (nausea or vomiting) efficacy in pregnancy or when references are given, they do not refer directly to studies reporting data on the anti-emetic (nausea or vomiting) efficacy of THD in pregnancy. See text for further details and discussion.

Quotation about anti-emetic effects of thalidomide in pregnancy	Publication (ranked by year of publication)	Citation given to support statement	Comment
Thalidomide was first developed in the 1950s by the German pharmaceutical company Grünenthal as a sedative or anti-emetic for morning sickness in pregnant women.	Yamamoto et al. (2022), p. 6236	No citation	Comment is specific for morning sickness and includes both sedative and anti-emetic actions.
The unintended teratogenic effect of thalidomide (THD) prescribed to treat morning sickness in pregnant women is a historic tragedy.	Xie et al. (2022), p.2	No citation	Comment is specific for morning sickness and “prescription” implies that its treatment was the intent of the prescriber. Note that THD was available over the counter.
Thalidomide is a synthetic glutamic derivative, it was approved for pregnancy-associated morning sickness in 1957, although a few years later was withdrawn because of teratogenicity.	Was et al. (2022), p.9	No citation	Comment is specific for morning sickness and the use of the word “approval” implies some form of regulatory process.
Thalidomide was first developed to treat morning sickness and sold over the counter to pregnant women in Germany in the 1950s, with recommended doses in the range of aspirin treatments (300–500 ​mg).	Schein (2021), p.16	Schein, 2020	Comment implies data/trials to support development. Schein, 2020, cites Rehman et al., 2011, use of THD in morning sickness
Thalidomide was marketed as a safe and effective sedative beginning in 1957 and was later found to be effective at treating morning sickness.	Vargesson and Stephens (2021), p.1455	No citation	Comment indicates primary use was sedation and efficacy specifically against morning sickness was discovered subsequently.
Thalidomide (THD) is a derivative of glutarnic [sic]acid, which was initially used as a sedative to treat emesis in pregnancy ….	Wang et al. (2020), p. 4561	No citation	Implies that the sedative and anti-emetic actions are linked.
It was very popular at the time, being distributed in at least 46 countries worldwide as an effective drug in relieving morning sickness.	Vargesson (2019), p.88	No citation	Statement implies efficacy in morning sickness.
Thalidomide was developed in 1957 by the German pharmaceutical compnay Chemie Grünenthal as a sedative used by pregnant women to ameliorate morning sickness.	Gemechu et al. (2018), p.11802	No citations	Comment is specific for morning sickness.
In 1957, this drug was released into the market as an over-the -counter drug of a non-addictive/non-barbiturate sedative as well as an anti-emetic. Thalidomide ameliorated “morning sickness” in pregnant women and was tragically believed to be harmless.	Yashiro et al. (2018), p. 2250.	No citation	Amelioration implies efficacy against morning sickness.
Thalidomide was introduced in the 1950s as a safe antiepileptic drug. In 1957, it was commercialized as a safe sedative and was widely used as an antiemetic (Randall, 1990; Perri and Hsu, 2003)	Islas-Espinoza et al. (2018), p. 671	Randall (1990); Perri and Hsu (2003)	Statement does not confine anti-emetic efficacy only to pregnancy.
			Randall, 1990, is a brief history of THD. Perri and Hsu (2003), reviews the history of THD and its use in dermatology-it cites Stirling, 1988 [3] as the source for the statement “Pregnant women frequently treated their nausea of pregnancy with thalidomide.[3]
Thalidomide (THD) was able to significantly ameliorate nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, but was withdrawn in Europe as a result of teratogenicity in the late 1950s.	Zhang et al. (2017), p. 3559	No citation	Amelioration implies efficacy against both nausea and vomiting and “in pregnancy” implies efficacy at any stage of pregnancy.
Thalidomide was first introduced in the late 1950s as a sedative for pregnant women to prevent morning sickness [28].	Shi and Chen (2017), p. 3	Citation to Ito and Handa, 2016	Comment links sedation and anti-emetic efficacy. Reference [28] is Ito and Handa, 2016, Cereblon and its downstream substrates as molecular targets of immunotherapy drugs.
Thalidomide was released in the late 1950's as a nonaddictive, nonbarbiturate sedative by the German pharmaceutical company, Chemie-Grunenthal (Fig. 1). Thalidomide was very effective and quickly discovered to also be an effective anti-emetic and used to treat morning sickness in pregnant women.	Vargesson (2015), p. 140.	No citation	Statement implies efficacy in morning sickness.
Thalidomide is a sedative that was first introduced in the late 1950s for treatment of morning sickness and insomnia [1,2].	Han et al. (2014), p. 361	Citation given to Reid et al. (2012), and Badros (2012)	Reid et al. (2012) is a Cochrane review of the utility of thalidomide in the management of cancer cachexia and Badros, 2012 is an editorial about the use of lenalidomide in myeloma.
Initially marketed as Contergan, thalidomide was prescribed as a nonbarbiturate hypnotic sedative able to produce deep sleep without hangover or risk of dependency … … … Soon available world-wide, the drug became popular for its anti-emetic effect in pregnant women suffering with morning sickness.	Rehman et al. (2011), p. 291.	No citation	Statement implies efficacy in morning sickness.
Thalidomide, a derivative of glutamic acid, was introduced in Europe in 1954 as a sedative/hypnotic agent and was used to ameliorate nausea in pregnancy.	Liu et al. (2009), p. 692.	No citation	Comment is specific to nausea and statement implies it is efficacious at any stage of pregnancy.
It was initially marketed as a sedative, with its rapid speed of onset, lack of hangover effect, and apparent safety after overdose making it an alternative to barbiturates. In addition it was a powerful antiemetic, and was widely taken by pregnant women for the treatment of morning sickness.	Gordon and Goggin (2003), p. 127	No citation	Statement implies efficacy in morning sickness.
Early studies done in 1953 established the anxiolytic, hypnotic, antiemetic, and adjuvant analgesic properties of thalidomide (44, 45)	Mujagic et al. (2002), p. 275	Citations to Fabro et al. (1965) and Smithells (1966).	Fabro et al. (1965) describes the metabolism of thalidomide, its biological effects and those of some metabolites but no studies of antiemetic activity; Smithells (1966) describes mobility and mental health rehabilitation aspects of children affected by thalidomide.