• Grünenthal never licenced an Italian drug company for the sale of Thalidomide. Between 1958 and July 1962 the drug was still sold there by various companies under different trade-names (including “Imidene”, “Asmadion” and “Calmorex”). Like in Germany, Thalidomide was available in Italy without prescription.

• At least 1138 Thalidomide babies were born in Italy between 1958 and 1966. (451 of them were born between 1964 and 1966 alone). 475 are still alive today.

• The drug companies, that sold Thalidomide in Italy, were never charged. They never paid any compensation.

• It wasn’t until 2008 that the Italian government started to support its survivors with monthly lifelong pensions (between €2500 to €4500, depending on the severity of the condition.) The government, however, did not admit any wrongdoing.

• Before 2008, Italian Thalidomoide survivors hadn’t received any compensation at all.

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