Medical Maverick: Frances Kelsey

This episode of BS Free MD introduces a new segment called Medical Mavericks, focusing on influential figures in medical history. The host recounts the story of Dr. Frances Kelsey, the physician and pharmacologist who famously blocked the approval of thalidomide in the United States, preventing a potential catastrophe of birth defects. Thalidomide, initially marketed as a sedative and treatment for morning sickness in the 1950s, caused severe birth defects in many countries. Dr. Kelsey’s refusal to approve the drug due to inadequate testing saved countless American children from similar harm.