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British Government To Give Massive Compensation Payment To Thalidomide Survivors

12/27/09 by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
The British government has set up a deal which will give the survivors of Thalidomide some $35m over the next three years to help meet their living and medical needs. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first Thalidomide baby born in Great Britain. The money is to be paid out over three years and comes after a lot of fighting with the British government to hold them at least partially responsible for allowing the drug on the market without adequate testing. The money will be dispensed by the Thalidomide Trust to the 466 survivors. There were roughly two thousand Thalidomide babies born in Great Britain, most of whom did not survive passed infancy. In Great Britain, the drugs manufacturer, Distillers Biochemicals, paid out a large settlement after litigation lasting into the 1970′s. An apology will be issued by the British Government early in 2010.

Guy Tweedy, one of the campaigners for greater compensation, is said to have been delighted by this news, as reported in the BBC. “This is a significant day in the long-running battle to get a fair and just settlement for the victims of this wicked drug. Our campaign, which was fought with dignity and determination, has always been about justice and not entitlement.”

“I know that this will be a much-anticipated early Christmas present for all those involved. I would also like to pay tribute to the work of the Thalidomide Trust and its officers, and members of the National Advisory Council who have worked tirelessly to champion the cause of thalidomide survivors, and whose contribution in supporting them and their families cannot be overstated,” Health Minister Mike O’Brien is reported as having stated. The Department of Health is looking at taking this approach for other small groups of people with specialized medical needs.

Thalidomide Trust director Martin Johnson stated “We’re absolutely delighted. The campaigners feel this is a very successful end…2009 is the 50th year of the first thalidomide babies being born in Britain and the thalidomide disaster is the biggest peace time disaster to happen in this country so it is surprising it’s taken so long.”

The malformations which Thalidomide lead to resulted in a greater push for abortion legalization, especially in the United States. Most of the survivors suffer from shortened or missing limbs. The drug also affected nearly every part of the body including internal organs. It is believed that the drug slowed or stopped the formation of blood vessels. It is being investigated with regards to “kill or cure” treatments regarding cancer. The Thalidomide deformities were central to the debate over abortion largely due to the fact that women were unable to have abortions in many places even if the feotus was so malformed that it could not survive long outside the womb. It is something that is often lost in the back and forth over the issue of abortion.