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Thalidomide, the notorious drug which caused horrendous birth defects in the 1950s and 1960s, is close to making a comeback as an anticancer drug. Drug firm Celgene of Warren, New Jersey, has applied to European drug authorities for permission to sell thalidomide to treat multiple myeloma, a fatal cancer of the bone marrow. In clinical trials the drug performed well against the disease. It will take Europe seven months or more to reach a verdict on the drug, which will not be prescribed to pregnant women or those considering having children.