The Tea in STEM

Dark History of Clinical Trials Episode 7

In this episode of Dark History, we revisit one of the most infamous studies in clinical research — the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. While nearly every researcher has heard of it as the cornerstone example of why IRBs exist, the deeper story is often reduced to a single sentence in textbooks. For forty years, Black men in Tuskegee, Alabama were denied proper treatment for syphilis — even after penicillin was proven curative — under the guise of “free healthcare.” We’ll unpack not just what happened, but why it was allowed to continue, the systemic racism and exploitation it revealed, and how its legacy continues to shape medical mistrust and research ethics today.

Dark History of Clinical Trials Part 6

In this episode, we dive into a chilling case where a promising T-cell therapy showed remarkable results in adolescents and pediatric patients — but when tested in adults, the outcome was tragically different. Phase 1 looked fine, Phase 2 turned deadly. To this day, we still don’t fully understand why. Was it biology? Trial design? Or something deeper about the risks of pushing boundaries in science? Join us as we unpack what went wrong, and what this story teaches us about the fragile line between breakthrough and disaster in clinical research.

All Episodes FDA: F*** Around and Find out Episode 9

“Good Intentions, Bad Paperwork” Meet the city doc everyone loved — champion of public health, hero of harm reduction, and the driving force behind making Narcan accessible without a prescription. But when his passion for helping people collided with the rigid rules of an HIV clinical trial, things got messy. This episode dives into how one man’s altruism, while admirable, ran head-first into FDA regulations, resulting in a 483B. It’s a cautionary tale of how even the best intentions need a protocol to match.

Dark History of Clinical Trials Part 5

In this powerful installment of Dark History of Clinical Trials, we examine one of the most tragic and transformative episodes in pharmaceutical history: the thalidomide disaster. Marketed as a safe sedative and morning sickness treatment in the late 1950s, thalidomide was distributed to thousands—only to cause severe congenital deformities and pregnancy losses across the globe. This catastrophe exposed critical flaws in drug testing, marketing, and approval processes. In this episode, we uncover: * The rise and reckless distribution of thalidomide * The real human cost behind corporate and regulatory failures * How this tragedy reshaped modern drug approval laws * The birth of the FDA’s MedWatch program and tighter safety controls * Why we now distinguish between OTC and controlled medications Understanding this dark chapter is key to appreciating the safeguards we often take for granted today.

FDA: F*** Around and Find out Episode 8

In this episode, we dive deep into the recent FDA action that exposed a pharmaceutical manufacturer distributing counterfeit codeine cough syrup. What began as a quiet compliance concern quickly escalated into a full-scale investigation—leading to shutdowns, criminal charges, and regulatory fallout.