The German drug-makers that developed thalidomide 50 years ago should “put their money where their mouth is” rather than just express regret to thousands of victims, says a British charity head.
Grünenthal Group Chief executive Harald Stock offered the company’s first “regrets” in 50 years over the drug thalidomide. The so-called “miracle drug” was supposed to combat morning sickness but resulted in the birth of children without limbs in Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan during the 1950 and 1960s.
“We ask for forgiveness that for nearly 50 years we didn’t find a way of reaching out to you from human being to human being,” Mr Stock said. “We ask that you regard our long silence as a sign of the shock that your fate caused in us.”
But Freddie Astbury, head consultant for the Thalidomide Agency UK, said words alone are insufficient. There are 458 people in the UK affected by the drug scrambling for money to live.
“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,” said Mr Astbury, born in Chester in 1959 with no arms and no legs.”
British Thalidomide survivor Nick Dobrik also dismissed the apology.
“An apology should be an unreserved apology and not a conditional apology,” he said in a radio interview. “We feel that a sincere and genuine apology is one which actually admits wrongdoing. The company has not done that and has really insulted the Thalidomiders.”
Mr Stock’s apology came in a speech during the unveiling of a bronze statue in Stolberg, West Germany, that symbolises a child born without limbs because of thalidomide. The statue is called “the sick child” – a name German victims group object to since all the victims are now adults. In German, the name also implies cure.
Thalidomide was recalled in 1961 after it was linked to birth defects and many of its victims have only received compensation recently when the the UK government set up a funding scheme in 2010 to help survivors cope.
Grünenthal, a private, family-owned company founded in 1946, said it acted in accordance with the state of scientific knowledge and all industry standards for testing new drugs that were relevant and acknowledged in the 1950s and 1960s. The company had revenue of 947m euros in 2011.
But Mr Astbury said he believes the drug makers’ apology is a result of court proceedings brought by victims in Australia rather than regret.
In July, Australian thalidomide victim Lynette Rowe, 50, reached a multimillion dollar settlement with British company Diageo – which bought the Australian distributor of the drug in 1997 – as part of a class action law suit. More than 100 other survivors expect to have their claims heard in the next year.
“To suggest that its long silence before today ought to be put down to `silent shock’ on its part is insulting nonsense,” Lynette Rowe said in a statement on Saturday. “For 50 years Grunenthal has been engaged in a calculated corporate strategy to avoid the moral, legal and financial consequences of its reckless and negligent actions.”
Thalidomide babies often suffered missing or deformed limbs, shortening of arms and legs or malformations of the eyes and ears, genitals, heart, kidneys and digestive tract.
“Being disabled is very expensive and Thalidomide people need help and care, and adaptations to their cars and homes,” Mr Astbury said.”We just want people to live a comfortable life and that means Grunenthal have to pay for their mistake financially.”
A German victims group also rejected the company’s apology as too little, too late. The drug wsa known as Contergan in Germany.
“The apology as such doesn’t help us deal with our everyday life,” said Ilonka Stebritz, a spokeswoman for the Association of Contergan Victims.