Charity snubs late apology for births disaster

The Grunenthal Group said in a statement yesterday it “regrets” the consequences of the drug, which was used to combat morning sickness but led to the birth of children without limbs during the 1950s and 1960s.

But the apology was rejected as insufficient by the Thalidomide Agency UK, which represents people who were affected in Britain. The drug was withdrawn in May 1962 a year after doctors first realised that it was linked to a spate of crippling side effects.

At least 1,000 babies were born with deformities brought about directly by the drug, which also caused malformations of the eyes and ears, genitals, heart, kidneys and digestive tract. More than half died within their first year.

Thalidomide UK Agency says there are 458 people living in the UK who were affected by the drug, but that for every Thalidomide baby that lived there were 10 that died.

Freddie Astbury, the charity’s head consultant, said the company needed to “put their money where their mouth is” rather than simply express regret.

Mr Astbury, who was born in Chester in 1959 with no arms and no legs after his mother took the drug, said: “If they are serious about admitting they are at fault and regret what happened they need to start helping those of us who were affected financially.”

The apology was revealed in a speech made by Grunenthal chief executive Harald Stock at the inauguration of a special memorial in Stolberg, Germany, which came after a determined campaign by patients.

“On behalf of Grünenthal with its shareholders and all employees, I would like to take the opportunity at this moment of remembrance today to express our sincere regrets about the consequences of thalidomide and our deep sympathy for all those affected, their mothers and their families,” he said.

“We see both the physical hardship and the emotional stress that the affected, their families and particularly their mothers, had to suffer because of thalidomide and still have to endure day by day.

“The thalidomide tragedy took place 50 years ago in a world completely different from today.

“The international scientific community, the pharmaceutical industry and governments, legislators and administrations have had to learn a lot from it.

“Throughout the world the tragedy influenced the development of new authorisation procedures and legal frameworks, which seek to minimise the risks of new medicines for patients as much as possible.”

Mr Stock told those gathered for the ceremony the company had acted in accordance with the scientific knowledge and standards of the day in producing the drug, although that claim has been disputed by critics who say the company put commercial considerations ahead of safety. The drug was not licensed for use in the US because of regulators’ concerns about the testing regime.

But he added: “We regret that the teratogenic potential of thalidomide could not be detected by the tests that we and others carried out before it was marketed.

“Hence the drug was taken by many women who had no reason to imagine that it could seriously harm their unborn children.

“We also apologise for the fact we have not found the way to you from person to person for almost 50 years. Instead, we have been silent and we are very sorry for that.”

Mr Astbury said the company had always denied it had anything to do with the birth defects and believes they are only now apologising because of court proceedings in Australia.

“Being disabled is very expensive and Thalidomide people need help and care, and adaptations to their cars and homes.

“We just want people to live a comfortable life and that means Grunenthal have to pay for their mistake financially.”