Contergan scandal - Trial expert Lenz

Hamburg-based human geneticist Professor Widukind Lenz in 1968. He was called upon by the court during the Contergan trial in May 1968 to serve as an expert on the sleeping drug. At an early stage Lenz had warned against the use of Contergan and had prompted Contergan-maker Gr¾nenthal in 1961 to withdraw the drug because he speculated that it could cause deformities in unborn children. The company however continued to stress the harmlessness of the side effects. As a result Lenz announced his suspicions at a conference on 19 November 1961, although without mentioning the product's name. Six days later Gr¾nenthal withdrew the thalidomide containing drug from the market. In the late 1950s and 60s about 8,000 to 12,000 children were born with serious deformities, many died, due to the use of the sleeping drug Contergan by their mothers during pregnancy.