The FDA never approved thalidomide for use by pregnant women - that happened in Europe in 1957. The much later approval by the FDA in the US was for treating a fatal cancer, multiple myeloma, and it came with a black box warning concerning use in pregnancy.

thalidomide helped create major changes to the FDA in the 1960s to make drugs safer and more effective. It led to amendments to the 1938 Food Drug and Cosmetic Act and created special attention on drugs? risk to pregnant women.

Thalidomide was only ever approved in 1997 by the FDA specifically for leprosy or Multiple myeloma. Even though there was pressure to approve it in the 1950s and 60s, it was NEVER approved in the US by the FDA. To state otherwise is a deliberate lie.