Thalidomide group welcomes Australian’s settlement

The Irish Thalidomide Association has welcomed an Australian woman’s multimillion settlement with the distributor of the anti-morning sickness drug she says caused her birth defect.

Melbourne native Lynette Rowe was born without arms or legs after her mother took thalidomide while pregnant.

Ms Rowe led the class action against three parties: Drug-maker Grunenthal; Distillers Company (Biochemicals), which sold the drug in Australia; and Diageo Scotland, the successor company to Distillers.