The Thalidomide Children. Wonder drug, government approved safe and effective for 3 years before very bad long term effects were even noticed. It was hailed as a "wonder drug" to treat conditions such as insomnia, morning sickness and depression and licensed in the UK in 1958. But it was withdrawn again in late 1961 after an Australian doctor told the Lancet he had identified an increase in the number of deformed babies born in his hospital, and found that all of the mothers involved had used the drug. By then around 10,000 babies had been born worldwide who either had shortened arms or legs, or no limbs at all. A few of these "thalidomide children" won damages in 1968 and the rest were covered by a 1973 out-of-court settlement with Distillers, who made the drug. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/jul/29/thalidomide-birth-defects-asbestos-drugs