With Grünenthal still refusing to withdraw the drug, Dr. Widukind Lenz felt he could not wait any longer. He went public with his suspicion while attending a congress of the “Association of Pediatricians of North Rhein-Westphalia” (“Vereinigung Rheinland-Westphälischer Kinderärzte”) in Düsseldorf – at this point without mentioning any names. He said he believed “a certain a substance” was responsible for the increasing number of malformed babies all over Germany.

Lenz verbatim: “As a human being and citizen I cannot take the responsibility for concealing this any longer.” (“Als Mensch und Staatsbürger kann ich es nicht verantworten, meine Beobachtungen zu verschweigen.”)

Source: WDR: Der Mann der Contergan stoppte (The man who stopped Contergan), November 27, 2006.