Thalidomide apology deemed pathetic

Australian mother Wendy Rowe has rejected a drug company's apology about thalidomide, saying it's one you make when you're not really sorry, and lawyers have called it pathetic.

Grunenthal CEO Harald Stock has reportedly said the failure of the company to respond to the thousands of cases of babies born without arms and legs because their mothers took thalidomide could be put down to silent shock.

Mrs Rowe says she's been waiting 50 years for an apology from the company that made the drug that caused her daughter's severe birth deformities, and says Mr Stock doesn't know what shock is.

Now legal experts are wondering what the German drugmaker's apology really means for thalidomide sufferers.

A class action is still underway for New Zealand and Australian victims and ACC law specialist John Miller says a big question remains unanswered.

"There are the legal undertake liability as well as the PR spin of apology. It's nice to get an apology, as John Mortimer said there's the healing power of a money as well."

Mr Miller says legally Gruenenthal has always been liable.

"What really counts is when people, to put it colloquially, put the money where the mouth is. It's easy to apologise but they should compensate."

He is surprised the case is still going on, after the company settled with victims in Britain many years ago.

Melbourne law firm Slater and Gordon, which is leading a class action on behalf of about 100 thalidomide victims in Australia and New Zealand, branded the apology pathetic, insulting nonsense.

Meanwhile, victims groups overseas, including the United Kingdom, say the apology is too little too late.

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