Reaction To The Crisis
The Thalidomide scandal prompted countries around the world to make significant changes to their drug laws.
is a film about Thalidomide, a drug made by Grünenthal which severely disabled thousands of babies in the 60's and caused the worst pharmaceutical scandal in history.
- THALIDOMIDER STORIES
- ABOUT THE DRUG THALIDOMIDE
- ABOUT GRÜNENTHAL
- OTHER NOTABLES
- TIMELINE
- TIMELINE
- 1939: Scientists discover that a drug can pass through the placenta and damage a fetus
- 1946: Chemie Grünenthal GmbH is founded
- 1947: Grünenthal mainly manufactures antibiotics
- Winter, 1954: Keller and Kunz synthesize new compound later to be called Thalidomide
- April, 1954: Grünenthal obtains a 20 year patent for K 17
- 1955: Thalidomide or K17 is tested on animals
- 1955: Thalidomide or K 17 is tested on humans
- June, 1955: K 17 “is ready to go on the market”
- October 21, 1955: An expert recommends that tests should be done over a period of at least 9 to 12 months
- December 15, 1955: Thalidomide is a substance without “undesirable side effects”
- March, 1956: Dr. Piacenza writes about “light paresthesia” (“pins and needles”) in connection with K 17
- July 10, 1956: The NRW Department of Health approves the sale drugs containing of Thalidomide
- August, 1956: Paper on thalidomide talks about its “sedative effect” and its “extreme non-toxicity”
- December 25, 1956: The first known Thalidomide baby is born
- July 5, 1957: Grünenthal asks Bonn University prof to include K 17 in pregnant women test
- September 2, 1957: Thalidomide gets the name “Contergan” for the German market
- September 26, 1957: Ads about Contergan are to focus on its sensational “absolute non-toxicity” and “safeness”
- October 1, 1957: Contergan is put on the West-German market
- December, 1957: “Unrest and states of excitements” cease to be mentioned
- 1958: Contergan is highly advertised
- 1958: Thalidomide sample pills distributed in the US
- March 3, 1958: Doctors complain about the wording “absolute non-toxic”
- April, 1958: Thalidomide sold in Great Britain under the trade-name Distaval
- August 1, 1958: Grünenthal uses unrelated test results to promote the safety of Thalidomide for pregnant women
- August 26, 1958: Report on difficulties in walking
- 1959: Growing critical voices
- 1959: Thalidomide under brand names is available as samples in Canada
- January, 1959: Thalidomide is advertised in a journal about obstetrics and gynecology
- January, 1959: 1959 - USA
- March, 1959: Complaints about cold feet and hands
- June 23, 1959: 1959 - Canada
- July 14, 1959: A consumer believes his paresthesia is connected to Contergan
- August, 1959: More cases of polyneuritis
- August 17, 1959: Grünenthal doesn’t take growing number of complaints seriously
- October 3, 1959: Dr. Voss alerts Grünenthal about nerve damage
- October 15, 1959: Sievers and Werner are lying again
- November 27, 1959: Voss informs Grünenthal about more cases of polyneuritis and clearly warns about a possible toxicity
- November 27, 1959: More warnings on that same day
- December 30, 1959: Dr. Werner and Dr. Sievers lie again
- January 14, 1960: Contergan is “devil’s work”
- February 23, 1960: “Contergan causes damage”, according to a neurologist
- March 1, 1960: Contergan is the most-sold sedative in Germany
- March 8, 1960: Once again Grünenthal denies having heard of cases of polyneuritis.
- April, 1960: A Grünenthal representative starts visiting the Ministry of Interior in NRW
- April, 1960: Grünenthal visits Voss trying to influence him
- April 14, 1960: Dr. Mückter says “everything needs to be done to prevent the prescription requirement”
- May 1, 1960: Neurologist Voss publicly talks about nerve damage
- Summer, 1960: June to October 1960
- August 10, 1960: Linde Schulte-Hillen takes one pill of Contergan
- September 8, 1960: 1960 Canada
- September 12, 1960: 1960 USA
- Fall, 1960: Defendants assume the “likeliness” of the nerve damaging effects of Contergan
- October, 1960: Some hospitals stop giving out Thalidomide
- November, 1960: The net sales revenue for Contergan reaches 1,215,600 Marks
- November, 1960: A note that warns about nerve damage is included in the instruction leaflet
- November 17, 1960: “For Contergan we fight to the last breath.”
- November 22, 1960: Notice of compliance from the Canadian Food and Drug Directorate
- November 24, 1960: Pharmacist inquires about malformations
- December, 1960: "Everything is done to protect our ‘eyeball’"
- December 31, 1960: First publication about Thalidomide and nerve damage
- 1961: McBride informs Distillers about three malformed babies born in his care
- January, 1961: Contergan sales in Germany reach their highest point
- January, 1961: Certainty that Contergan is responsible for nerve damage
- January 16, 1961: Negative articles about Contergan "are to be prevented"
- January 17, 1961: Grünenthal suppresses knowledge of reports about damaged babies and children
- February 15, 1961: Voss thinks nerve damage is irreversible
- February 27, 1961: Dr. Sievers and Dr. Werner say Contergan doesn’t cause damage
- March, 1961: Kelsey reads Florence’s letter in the British Medical Journal
- April 1, 1961: Thalidomide enters Canadian market
- April 21, 1961: A Grünenthal sales rep makes fun of patients at psychiatric ward who do not notice their nerve damage
- May, 1961: Dr. Frenkel and others publish articles about nerve damage caused by Contergan
- May 11, 1961: Kelsey asks if Thalidomide can harm a fetus
- May 26, 1961: Grünenthal revises package leaflet for Thalidomide
- June, 1961: Lenz and Schulte-Hillen collect evidence in Northern Germany
- June 26, 1961: Prescription requirement for Thalidomide containing preparations recommended
- June 27, 1961: Randolph Reginald Warren is born
- Summer, 1961: Grünenthal wonders if Thalidomide can pass the placenta
- August 1, 1961: Prescription requirement is introduced, but only in three federal states
- August 16, 1961: Grünenthal pays compensation to patients with nerve damage
- September, 1961: The first article about the increasing numbers of malformed babies is published
- September 26, 1961: FDA wants pregnancy warning included in instruction leaflet
- October, 1961: Grünenthal informed about a malformation on a newborn possibly connected to Thalidomide
- October, 1961: Contergan likely responsible for the malformations
- October 3, 1961: Thalidomide disturbs bone growth in chickens
- November 15, 1961: Lenz phones Grünenthal, demanding Thalidomide be taken off the market immediately
- November 17, 1961: Dr. Lenz sends summary of his observations to Grünenthal
- November 19, 1961: Lenz publicly talks about his suspicion
- November 20, 1961: Grünenthal executives meet with Lenz in Hamburg
- November 20, 1961: Grünenthal sends out 66,957 letters to doctors saying their drug was safe.
- November 24, 1961: Grünenthal is informed about McBride’s warnings in Australia
- November 25, 1961: The Ministry of the Interior informs several offices in Germany about the new suspicion against Thalidomide
- November 26, 1961: The newspaper article that finally makes Grünenthal act is published
- November 27, 1961: Withdrawal of Thalidomide from the West German market
- November 30, 1961: Experts believe Thalidomide is responsible for malformations
- December, 1961: By end of 1961, 1800 cases of nerve damage reported to Grünenthal
- December 1, 1961: Criminal charges against Grünenthal are filed in Hanover
- December 2, 1961: Distillers takes Thalidomide off the market in the UK and Australia
- December 5, 1961: Thalidomide stays on the Canadian market for another four months
- December 16, 1961: The prosecution in Aachen starts its criminal investigation proceedings
- 1962: Scientists demonstrate teratogenicity
- February, 1962: Times Magazine reports Thalidomide still available in Canada
- March 2, 1962: Thalidomide removed from the market in Canada
- May, 1962: UK government warning issued
- July 4, 1962: Grünenthal still denies any connection between Thalidomide and malformations
- August 7, 1962: Kelsey presented award by JFK
- August 9, 1962: Thalidomide Society is formed by parents in Britain
- October 10, 1962: USA - Drug Amendments Act is passed
- March 16, 1963: The Federal Association of Thalidomide Victims is founded
- 1964: Thalidomide can be useful in treating leprosy patients
- December, 1966: Josef Neuberger is appointed Minister of Justice in NRW
- March 13, 1967: Aachen prosecutors file a suit against Grünenthal
- 1968: Distillers offers modest settlement amounts to survivors in the UK
- May 27, 1968: The trial begins in Alsdorf
- August 12, 1968: Lenz testifies at the trial
- July, 1969: Government interference in the German Thalidomide trial
- October 10, 1969: Courts decides that Lenz’ testimony cannot be used
- January 26, 1970: Grünenthal agrees to pay 100 Million Marks
- April 10, 1970: A settlement is reached
- December 18, 1970: The trial in Alsdorf ends without a verdict
- March, 1971: Richardson-Merrel is sued in the US
- September 24, 1972: UK Media campaigns
- October 31, 1972: Disabled Children's Relief Foundation for People with Disabilities set up
- 1973: Settlement package by Distillers
- August 10, 1973: UK Thalidomide Children’s Trust established
- April, 1974: The patent protection expires
- January 1, 1978: The new German Drug Law comes into effect
- December, 1987: Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada is formed
- 1991: Canada-$21 million assistance package
- 1993: UK-actuarial report
- June, 1993: Reports on deformities in Brazil
- December, 1996: USA - Celgene askes the FDA for permission to distribute Thalidomide
- 1997: Compensation Grünenthal committed to in 1971 is used up
- 1998: USA - FDA approves use to treat ENL
- November, 2002: UK - Fight for a better deal for Thalidomiders
- 2004: Application for Thalidomide to enter the European market
- July, 2004: UK - Campaign to stop taxation on Thalidomide compensation
- 2005: UK - Improved deal is reached with Diageo
- August 19, 2005: The “Contergan Foundation” is renamed
- 2006: Schulte-Hillen and Grünenthal try to prevent the broadcast of a TV movie about the Contergan scandal
- 2006: USA - FDA approves Thalomid for treatment of multiple myeloma
- 2007: Improved survival rates of bone-marrow cancer patients
- November 7, 2007: The WDR broadcasts the movie “Eine Einzige Tablette”
- December, 2007: First meeting - Grünenthal and the German Federal Association of Thalidomide Victims
- 2008: EU approval for treatment of multiple myeloma
- May, 2008: Grünenthal announces 50 Million Euros payment
- 2009: UK - 20 million pound grant
- June 29, 2009: The second amendment to the “Contergan Foundation Law” comes into effect
- 2010: UK - formal apology to Thalidomide victims
- July, 2010: 50 million Australian dollars paid to survivors
- June, 2011: Grünenthal offers to reimburse “extraordinary” costs
- June, 2011: Australia - Peter Gordon launches landmark international class action suit
- October, 2011: First hearing of class action suit - Australia
- December, 2011: Australian victims win right to have class action
- July 19, 2012: Thalidomide settlement for Lynette Rowe
- August 31, 2012: Grünenthal offers an apology
- 2012: Grünenthal's 2012 Apology
- December, 2012: Grünenthal establishes company-owned foundation
- December, 2012: UK survivors to receive 80 million pounds
- April, 2013: The German Bundestag significantly raises the monthly benefits
- December, 2013: Australia and New Zealand award
- December, 2014: Canada - motion 'to right the wrong'
- March 6, 2015: Canadian government announces compensation package
- Compensation
- August 16, 1961: Grünenthal pays compensation to patients with nerve damage
- November 30, 1961: Experts believe Thalidomide is responsible for malformations
- December 1, 1961: Criminal charges against Grünenthal are filed in Hanover
- December 16, 1961: The prosecution in Aachen starts its criminal investigation proceedings
- July 4, 1962: Grünenthal still denies any connection between Thalidomide and malformations
- August 9, 1962: Thalidomide Society is formed by parents in Britain
- March 16, 1963: The Federal Association of Thalidomide Victims is founded
- December, 1966: Josef Neuberger is appointed Minister of Justice in NRW
- March 13, 1967: Aachen prosecutors file a suit against Grünenthal
- 1968: Distillers offers modest settlement amounts to survivors in the UK
- May 27, 1968: The trial begins in Alsdorf
- August 12, 1968: Lenz testifies at the trial
- July, 1969: Government interference in the German Thalidomide trial
- October 10, 1969: Courts decides that Lenz’ testimony cannot be used
- January 26, 1970: Grünenthal agrees to pay 100 Million Marks
- April 10, 1970: A settlement is reached
- December 18, 1970: The trial in Alsdorf ends without a verdict
- March, 1971: Richardson-Merrel is sued in the US
- September 24, 1972: UK Media campaigns
- October 31, 1972: Disabled Children's Relief Foundation for People with Disabilities set up
- 1973: Settlement package by Distillers
- August 10, 1973: UK Thalidomide Children’s Trust established
- December, 1987: Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada is formed
- 1991: Canada-$21 million assistance package
- 1993: UK-actuarial report
- 1997: Compensation Grünenthal committed to in 1971 is used up
- November, 2002: UK - Fight for a better deal for Thalidomiders
- July, 2004: UK - Campaign to stop taxation on Thalidomide compensation
- 2005: UK - Improved deal is reached with Diageo
- May, 2008: Grünenthal announces 50 Million Euros payment
- 2009: UK - 20 million pound grant
- June 29, 2009: The second amendment to the “Contergan Foundation Law” comes into effect
- July, 2010: 50 million Australian dollars paid to survivors
- June, 2011: Grünenthal offers to reimburse “extraordinary” costs
- June, 2011: Australia - Peter Gordon launches landmark international class action suit
- October, 2011: First hearing of class action suit - Australia
- December, 2011: Australian victims win right to have class action
- July 19, 2012: Thalidomide settlement for Lynette Rowe
- December, 2012: Grünenthal establishes company-owned foundation
- December, 2012: UK survivors to receive 80 million pounds
- April, 2013: The German Bundestag significantly raises the monthly benefits
- December, 2013: Australia and New Zealand award
- December, 2014: Canada - motion 'to right the wrong'
- March 6, 2015: Canadian government announces compensation package
- Distribution
- October 1, 1957: Contergan is put on the West-German market
- 1958: Thalidomide sample pills distributed in the US
- April, 1958: Thalidomide sold in Great Britain under the trade-name Distaval
- 1959: Thalidomide under brand names is available as samples in Canada
- January, 1959: Thalidomide is advertised in a journal about obstetrics and gynecology
- January, 1959: 1959 - USA
- June 23, 1959: 1959 - Canada
- March 1, 1960: Contergan is the most-sold sedative in Germany
- September 8, 1960: 1960 Canada
- November, 1960: The net sales revenue for Contergan reaches 1,215,600 Marks
- November 17, 1960: “For Contergan we fight to the last breath.”
- November 22, 1960: Notice of compliance from the Canadian Food and Drug Directorate
- December, 1960: "Everything is done to protect our ‘eyeball’"
- January, 1961: Contergan sales in Germany reach their highest point
- March, 1961: Kelsey reads Florence’s letter in the British Medical Journal
- April 1, 1961: Thalidomide enters Canadian market
- May 26, 1961: Grünenthal revises package leaflet for Thalidomide
- August 1, 1961: Prescription requirement is introduced, but only in three federal states
- September 26, 1961: FDA wants pregnancy warning included in instruction leaflet
- November 26, 1961: The newspaper article that finally makes Grünenthal act is published
- December 2, 1961: Distillers takes Thalidomide off the market in the UK and Australia
- December 5, 1961: Thalidomide stays on the Canadian market for another four months
- February, 1962: Times Magazine reports Thalidomide still available in Canada
- March 2, 1962: Thalidomide removed from the market in Canada
- May, 1962: UK government warning issued
- 1964: Thalidomide can be useful in treating leprosy patients
- January 1, 1978: The new German Drug Law comes into effect
- June, 1993: Reports on deformities in Brazil
- December, 1996: USA - Celgene askes the FDA for permission to distribute Thalidomide
- 1998: USA - FDA approves use to treat ENL
- 2004: Application for Thalidomide to enter the European market
- 2006: USA - FDA approves Thalomid for treatment of multiple myeloma
- 2007: Improved survival rates of bone-marrow cancer patients
- 2008: EU approval for treatment of multiple myeloma
- Early Warnings
- 1955: Thalidomide or K 17 is tested on humans
- June, 1955: K 17 “is ready to go on the market”
- October 21, 1955: An expert recommends that tests should be done over a period of at least 9 to 12 months
- December, 1957: “Unrest and states of excitements” cease to be mentioned
- August 26, 1958: Report on difficulties in walking
- 1959: Growing critical voices
- March, 1959: Complaints about cold feet and hands
- July 14, 1959: A consumer believes his paresthesia is connected to Contergan
- August, 1959: More cases of polyneuritis
- August 17, 1959: Grünenthal doesn’t take growing number of complaints seriously
- October 3, 1959: Dr. Voss alerts Grünenthal about nerve damage
- October 15, 1959: Sievers and Werner are lying again
- November 27, 1959: Voss informs Grünenthal about more cases of polyneuritis and clearly warns about a possible toxicity
- November 27, 1959: More warnings on that same day
- December 30, 1959: Dr. Werner and Dr. Sievers lie again
- January 14, 1960: Contergan is “devil’s work”
- February 23, 1960: “Contergan causes damage”, according to a neurologist
- March 8, 1960: Once again Grünenthal denies having heard of cases of polyneuritis.
- April, 1960: A Grünenthal representative starts visiting the Ministry of Interior in NRW
- April, 1960: Grünenthal visits Voss trying to influence him
- April 14, 1960: Dr. Mückter says “everything needs to be done to prevent the prescription requirement”
- May 1, 1960: Neurologist Voss publicly talks about nerve damage
- Summer, 1960: June to October 1960
- September 12, 1960: 1960 USA
- Fall, 1960: Defendants assume the “likeliness” of the nerve damaging effects of Contergan
- October, 1960: Some hospitals stop giving out Thalidomide
- November 17, 1960: “For Contergan we fight to the last breath.”
- November 24, 1960: Pharmacist inquires about malformations
- December 31, 1960: First publication about Thalidomide and nerve damage
- 1961: McBride informs Distillers about three malformed babies born in his care
- January, 1961: Certainty that Contergan is responsible for nerve damage
- January 16, 1961: Negative articles about Contergan "are to be prevented"
- January 17, 1961: Grünenthal suppresses knowledge of reports about damaged babies and children
- February 15, 1961: Voss thinks nerve damage is irreversible
- February 27, 1961: Dr. Sievers and Dr. Werner say Contergan doesn’t cause damage
- March, 1961: Kelsey reads Florence’s letter in the British Medical Journal
- April 21, 1961: A Grünenthal sales rep makes fun of patients at psychiatric ward who do not notice their nerve damage
- May, 1961: Dr. Frenkel and others publish articles about nerve damage caused by Contergan
- May 11, 1961: Kelsey asks if Thalidomide can harm a fetus
- June, 1961: Lenz and Schulte-Hillen collect evidence in Northern Germany
- Summer, 1961: Grünenthal wonders if Thalidomide can pass the placenta
- September, 1961: The first article about the increasing numbers of malformed babies is published
- September 26, 1961: FDA wants pregnancy warning included in instruction leaflet
- October, 1961: Grünenthal informed about a malformation on a newborn possibly connected to Thalidomide
- October, 1961: Contergan likely responsible for the malformations
- October 3, 1961: Thalidomide disturbs bone growth in chickens
- November 15, 1961: Lenz phones Grünenthal, demanding Thalidomide be taken off the market immediately
- November 17, 1961: Dr. Lenz sends summary of his observations to Grünenthal
- November 19, 1961: Lenz publicly talks about his suspicion
- November 20, 1961: Grünenthal executives meet with Lenz in Hamburg
- November 20, 1961: Grünenthal sends out 66,957 letters to doctors saying their drug was safe.
- November 24, 1961: Grünenthal is informed about McBride’s warnings in Australia
- November 25, 1961: The Ministry of the Interior informs several offices in Germany about the new suspicion against Thalidomide
- November 26, 1961: The newspaper article that finally makes Grünenthal act is published
- November 27, 1961: Withdrawal of Thalidomide from the West German market
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