Thalidomide Manufacturer Apologizes for Birth Defects 50 Years Later
The German manufacturer of the anti-morning sickness pill thalidomide — blamed for causing birth defects in thousands of babies — has issued its first ever apology, 50 years after pulling the drug off the market. But victims say an apology is not enough.
"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," said Harald Stock, chief executive of Grunenthal Group, on Friday. "We ask that you regard our long silence as a sign of the shock that your fate caused in us."
Source: CBC News. Read full article. (link)
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I give this apology three thumbs up!
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Isn't thalidomide still used to treat leprosy?
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It's not used to treat leprosy itself, rather a complication of leprosy. Antibiotics from the immune system that are trying to go after the leprosy can start attacking fat tissue instead. It's called erythema nodosum, and that's what thalidomide can help relieve.
It's also being investigated as a treatment for certain types of cancers and multiple myeloma.