German thalidomide firm 'very sorry,' 50 years on

LONDON (AFP) - The German firm that made thalidomide has issued its first apology in 50 years to the thousands born disabled as a result of the drug's use, drawing stinging criticism from advocates for some survivors.

Grunenthal's chief executive Harald Stock said in a speech on Friday his firm was "very sorry" for its silence towards the victims of the drug, which was sold to pregnant women to cure morning sickness in the 1950s and early 1960s.

An estimated 10,000 children worldwide were born with defects – including missing limbs – after their mothers took thalidomide, which was sold in nearly 50 countries before being pulled from the market in 1961.

In a translated copy of the German text published on Grunenthal's website, Stock said he wanted to express his company's "sincere regrets" and "deep sympathy" to all those affected, "their mothers and their families", "We ask that you regard our long silence as a sign of the shock that your fate has caused us," he said in the speech.

"We also apologize for the fact that 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."

Stock delivered the speech at the inauguration of a special memorial to thalidomide victims in Stolberg, western Germany, where the company is based.   

He said that the drug "was taken by many women who had no reason to imagine that it could seriously harm their unborn children.”

The apology was rejected as insufficient by the charity Thalidomide Agency UK, which represents people affected by the drug in Britain.

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

Astbury, who was born in Chester in 1959 without arms or 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."

Stock said his firm was taking steps to help the victims of the drug's use.

"We have learned how important it is that we engage in an open dialogue with those affected and to talk and to listen to them," he said.

Lawyers for Australian survivors of the drug Saturday described the belated apology from the firm which developed and marketed the drug as "pathetic" and "insulting.”

"The apology issued by Grunenthal to thalidomide survivors is pathetic: it is too little, too late and riddled with further deceit," lawyers for Australian survivor Lynette Rowe said in a statement.

"To suggest that its long silence before today ought to be put down to 'silent shock' on its part is insulting nonsense.

"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 of the 1950s and 1960s."

Rowe's lawyers, from Gordon Legal and Slater & Gordon, said it would have been better for Grunenthal to release its private records to the world, including those it recently handed over in a class action led by the Australian woman.

Court papers used in the case brought by Rowe, who was born without arms or legs after her mother took thalidomide, allege that the German makers of the drug were warned of birth defects some two years before it was withdrawn.

Rowe's lawyers said Saturday the case against Grunenthal, which has denied wrongdoing and vowed to "fully defend" any legal action, was on hold after she reached a multi-million dollar settlement with another firm that had distributed the drug.

But they said lawsuits recently commenced in Australia would be followed up in many other countries.

A Japanese supporting group for Thalidomide victims also said an apology was not good enough.

"An apology is a matter of course," said Tsugumichi Sato, director-general of "Sakigake" Thalidomide Welfare Centre, in Japan, one of the major countries victimized of the drug disaster after Germany and Britain.

"The number of victims would have been smaller if the company had stopped its sales earlier," Sato said. "We are closely watching what responsibility the company will take on top of apologies."

<관련 한글 기사>

獨제약사 '기형아 유발 약품' 50년만에 사과

 1950~1960년대 임신부의 기형아 출산을 유발하는  약품을 생산한 제약사가 50년 만에 뒤늦게 공식 사과했다.

독일 제약사 그루넨탈의 해럴드 스탁 최고경영자(CEO)는 지난달 31일 입덧 완화

제로 판매된 '탈리도마이드' 피해자들에게 자사가 오랜 기간 침묵한 것은 매우 유감 이라고 밝혔다.

당시 이 약품을 복용한 임신부들이 출산한 기형아는 사지가 없는 아기를 포함해

전 세계적으로 1만여명에 달하는 것으로 추정된다.

이 약품은 50여 개국에서 임신부에게 진정제로 판매됐으나 기형아 출산 소식이

알려지자 1961년 판매 금지됐다.

스탁 CEO는 이날 회사 웹사이트에 올려진 연설문에서 이 일과 관련된 모든 어머니와 가족에게 진정한 유감과 깊은 사죄의 뜻을 전한다고 말했다.

스탁 CEO는 이어 "우리의 오랜 침묵을 당시 파문과 관련된 충격의 표현으로 받 아들여 달라"면서 "50여 년간 여러분에게 직접 사과하지 않았다는 점에 대해 사죄한

다"고 강조했다.

그는 당시 많은 여성이 자신의 아이가 심각한 피해를 볼 수 있다는 점을 알지

못한 채 문제의 약품을 복용했다고 인정했다.

또한 피해자들과의 대화가 중요하다며 이들의 생활수준 향상과 지원 사업을 함께 시작했다고 소개했다.

그는 그루넨탈 본사가 있는 독일 서부도시 슈톨베르크에서 탈리도마이드 피해자들을 기리는 행사에 참석, 이같이 연설했다.

그러나 영국 내 탈리도마이드 피해자 재단은 제약사의 사과가 불충분하다며 이를 거부했다.

재단 수석 고문인 프레디 애스트베리는 이번 사과는 "호주에서 피해자들에 대한 재판 절차가 진행되기 때문에 이뤄졌다"고 주장한 뒤 제약사가 유감을 표현하는 데 그치지 말고 실제 행동으로 보여줄 것을 촉구했다.

모친의 탈리도마이드 복용으로 사지 없이 태어난 애스트베리는 "그들이 진정으로 실수를 인정하고 사과한다면 경제적으로 어려움을 겪는 피해자들을 돕는 일부터 시작해야 한다"고 말했다.

그는 "피해자들에게 구체적 치료 서비스부터 다양한 지원이 필요하다"고 덧붙였다.  (연합뉴스)