German maker of thalidomide apologises, after 50 years

Grunenthal Group, the German firm that made thalidomide, on Friday issued an apology for its 50-year silence over the thousands of victims of the ill-fated drug, but said it was seeking more tangible results through charity.

Thalidomide, which was sold to pregnant women as a cure for morning sickness in the 1950s and early 1960s, resulted in their giving birth to children with deformities, including missing limbs.

The drug that was sold in nearly 50 countries was pulled from the market in 1961.

A translated copy of Stock's speech published on Grunenthal's web site expressed the company's ''sincere regrets'' and ''deep sympathy'' to all those affected, ''their mothers and their families.''

''We ask that you regard our long silence as a sign of the shock that your fate has caused us,'' Stock said in the speech.

''We also apologise for the fact that we have not found the way to you, from person to person, for almost 50 years.''