But Merrell Dow declared the litigation cost too high, and quit making Bendectin in 1983.

NPR: FDA Approves Return Of Drug For Morning Sickness

Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, involving since-debunked claims that Bendectin causes birth defects.

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An initial version of Bendectin began selling in 1956, and 33 million women around the world were estimated to have taken it before the lawsuits began.

NPR: FDA Approves Return Of Drug For Morning Sickness

The government estimates 1 in 33 babies are born with birth defects regardless of medication use during pregnancy, and studies eventually concluded that Bendectin didn't increase that baseline risk.

NPR: FDA Approves Return Of Drug For Morning Sickness

Monday's FDA decision means a new version of the pill once called Bendectin is set to return to U.S. pharmacies under a different name Diclegis as a safe and effective treatment for this pregnancy rite of passage.

NPR: FDA Approves Return Of Drug For Morning Sickness

Like previous suits over silicone breast implants, electromagnetic radiation and the anti-nausea drug Bendectin, it is being kept alive by a handful of experts who are willing to contradict mainstream scientists to say that mold can make otherwise healthy people sick.

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