WASHINGTON, May 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday announced the approval of Thalidomide for treatment of of bone-marrow cancer.

    The agency approved the drug for the treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, which are cancers that affect bone marrow cells key to fighting infection. Thalidomide is to be used in conjunction with dexamethasone, which is a standard chemotherapy treatment.

    The drug is manufactured by Celgene Corp. and sold as Thalomid. Recent studies produced mixed results concerning its effectiveness in treating multiple myeloma.

    The drug, which can cause birth defects, was banned worldwide in 1962. In 1998, it received FDA approval for the treatment of leprosy.

    Thalidomide is now marketed under a restricted distribution program. Its labeling warns of the risk of birth defects, and of blood clots in the legs and lungs in multiple myeloma patients who take it with dexamethasone. Enditem