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The tragedy

Grünenthal's sleeping pill Contergan caused the greatest tragedy in the history of the German pharmaceutical industry. At the end of the 1950s about 5,000 children in Germany were born with deformities. Today about 2,800 victims of Contergan are still alive in Germany.

The trademark of the active substance thalidomide was Contergan. Thalidomide was developed by Grünenthal in 1954 and tested according to the usual standards at the time. At that time there were no concrete legal regulations to protect patients, as there are today. The principle was based on self-control. From 1957 Contergan was available on the market prescription-free. It was distinguished by its highly sedative, sleep-inducing effect and was totally unsuitable as a means of committing suicide. It appeared to be particularly well tolerated and was not habit-forming. The contents of the advertising material for the product correlated with the state of the art at the time.

"A moment full of natural harmony gives us hope that the seconds will become longer. But usually only a moment and a fleeting desire remain, because we are dominated and driven by restlessness, which used to pay service to our mind. Contergan encourages rest and sleep. This safe medicine is not a strain on the liver, does not affect blood pressure or circulation, and is also well tolerated by sensitive patients. Sleep and rest: Contergan, Contergan forte."

In the following years Contergan was reported to have two different side-effects, one of them being irritation of the nerves in the hands and feet, usually of elderly people (called polyneuritis). The first evidence of this was received by Grünenthal in October 1959. After examining and verifying the side-effect Grünenthal changed the package insert in 1961 and applied for prescription-only status for thalidomide in May 1961.

As regards the other side-effect, the Hamburg paediatrician Dr Widukind Lenz reported his suspicion of a connection between deformities in unborn children and thalidomide on November 16th 1961. Shortly afterwards the Australian gynaecologist Dr William G. McBride also expressed this concern. Grünenthal promptly reacted and withdrew the drug from the market within 12 days.

At the time it was not possible to draw a connection between the polyneuritis and the deformities. This was also confirmed by the Aachen District Court in the criminal proceedings initiated later.

It took another three years before scientists discovered the effect causing the deformities ("teratogenicity") of thalidomide in experiments in white New Zealand rabbits.