Women to sue drug company

Press, 25 July 1984, Page 14

Women to sue drug company

NZPA-Reuter London Seventy British women who say their children were damaged by the morning sickness drug, Debendox, have been advised to sue for compensation in United States and British courts, their lawyer said. The manufactuerers of the drug, Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, agreed to a $l2O million fund for United States claimants, one of the largest out-of-court settlements in American legal history. The company, however, denied any liability and said it would not treat European claims in the same way. Debendox has been with-

drawn world wide. A British lawyer, Mr lan Sheridan, acting for the Debendox Action Group, said they would take their case to the state court in Ohio and to British courts. “We hope that the company will do the honourable thing and realise they have made a mistake by compensating one set of deformed children purely on the basis of nationality,” he said. “If they are willing to talk to us about setting up a similar compensation scheme and settle out of court we will be more than eager, because it is in the best interests of the children.