http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25025275-2703,00.html
Thalidomide 'was created by Nazis' Daniel Foggo, London | February 09, 2009 Article from: The Australian THE morning sickness drug thalidomide, which caused pregnant women to give birth to babies without arms and legs, was developed by the Nazis, probably as part of their chemical-weapons program, new research suggests. Two separate academics have revealed the discovery of documents indicating that the drug did not originate with Chemie Grunenthal, the post-war German chemical firm, as has always been claimed. If, as their research indicates, thalidomide was first developed by scientists working in wartime Germany, it could have implications for the liability of the German Government. So far, it has given compensation only to German victims, although the drug was distributed in 46 countries. Thousands of the drug's victims are still battling for increased financial aid to help them cope with its legacy. There are up to 6000 "thalidomiders" worldwide, including 2700 in Germany. Mothers for whom it was prescribed between its launch in 1957 and 1961, when it was removed from the market, gave birth to children who lacked proper arms, legs, hands and feet. Some suffered brain damage and other disabilities. Martin Johnson, director of the Thalidomide Trust, which provides help for surviving victims in Britain, has written a paper detailing evidence that the drug had been developed before Grunenthal secured a patent in 1954. The company has always maintained that thalidomide was created by chance in 1953. Dr Johnson suspects it was first produced as a possible antidote to nerve toxins such as sarin, developed by Otto Ambros, a Nazi scientist who joined Grunenthal after the war. Meanwhile, the author of a coming book on Nazi scientists claims to have a copy of a document written in November 1944 by a director of German pharmaceutical firm IG Farben that refers to the development of a substance whose chemical formula matches thalidomide's. Carlos De Napoli, an Argentinian who has published books on the activities of the Nazis who fled to South America after the war, claims his book, Hitler's Laboratories, will show that the drug has its origins in the Nazi death camps. De Napoli said a memo was sent on November 13, 1944, by Fritz ter Meer, an IG Farben executive, to Karl Brandt, an SS general who was Hitler's personal physician and head of his euthanasia program. The memo, in which the drug is referred to simply by a four-digit number, states it has been tested and is ready for use. De Napoli says he discovered the document in the IG Farben archive in 1978 but realised only recently the significance of the formula it contained. "There is absolutely no doubt of the Nazi development of and experimentation with thalidomide in the World War II camps," he said. The Sunday Times [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
