Pharmaceutical firm Gruenenthal apologized Friday for the first time over its drug, thalidomide.. That was the drug that Billy Joel saying about in his song We Didn't Start the Fire, and it was the drug that was given to many pregnant women during the 1950s. Their babies went on often to be born with either no arms or legs or short arms or legs, a birth defect that haunted them for the rest of their lives..
The drug thalidomide caused at least 10,000 children worldwide to have birth defects, an estimated 5000 to 6000 are still alive..
And now a generation later, the German company responsible for the pharmaceutical mistakes and defects, issued an apology.
Yes indeed, perhaps 50 years too late
