The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) approved a morning sickness drug that was initially taken off the market 30 years ago. The drug was first approved in 1956 under the name Bendectin, but was pulled from the market in 1983 after being linked to birth defects.
According to the FDA, the manufacturer of Bendectin, a company called Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, voluntarily removed the drug from the market. Mothers, claiming that their children were harmed, filed a series of lawsuits against the company. The agency said that Merrell Dow was unable to afford legal defense and took Bendectin off the market.
The recently approved generic version of Bendectin is called Diclegis and is manufactured in Canada by a private company. The two main ingredients of Diclegis are the same as in Bendectin.
The ingredients are doxylamine succinate, which is commonly found in over-the-counter antihistamines, and pyroxidine hydrochlorine or vitamin B6. Diclectin will be a prescription-only drug and is offered in single-pill form to treat morning sickness. As the Associated Press reported Monday, Diclegis is currently sold in Canada under another name, Diclectin.
The March of Dimes, the non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of mothers and babies, welcomes the morning sickness drug's re-introduction to the market.
"There's been a lot of buzz about this. Nothing better has come along to treat morning sickness in those 30 years," Medical Director for the March of Dimes Dr. Edward McCabe said.
Many pregnant women who suffer from morning sickness are able to manage it by making changes to their diet. Drinking ginger ale, peppermint tea or snacking on crackers can help treat the nauseated feeling that occurs in the early morning. The reinstated morning sickness drug, Diclegis will be available in the U.S. in early June.
