The thalidomide saga is one reason why drugs are now so rigorously tested for safety. We spoke to survivors after the Australian government made its first commitment to compensate them.
The story of thalidomide is etched into the minds of every doctor and drug manufacturer. It serves as a warning of what can go wrong.
The thalidomide mistake is why drugs are now so rigorously tested for safety.
Decades after thalidomide was banned from being given to pregnant women, survivors are a living cohort still fighting to be seen and acknowledged.
They’ve recently secured a major win with the federal government announcing to compensate them for the disabilities and difficulties they have endured – the culmination of years of advocacy.
Sonia Kohlbacher has been following the story.
You can subscribe to The Medical Republic podcast on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts by searching for ‘The Medical Republic”.
Top image: Lisa McManus, one of the 125 survivors of thalidomide in Australia.
