When my Mum was pregnant and on tour, a local doctor gave her thalidomide to help her sleep. A new wonder drug, 'completely safe for mother and child', it said, and a revolution in sleeping pills because, as it was non-barbiturate, there was no danger of overdose or death. At the time, sleeping pills were the biggest sellers for pharmaceuticals, in fact for the German company who invented it and sold it to a British Distillery Company, it represented 44 per cent of their total sales. Kerching!

Little wonder then that when evidence of the nerve condition peripheral neuritis mounted, to the point where even the two companies' own medical officers suggested retracting the drug, the managing directors of both companies decided there was 'not enough evidence' and it remained on sale. Even when evidence of the famous birth defects came to light, the companies were still reluctant to lose their profits.

So, I have a particular angle on drug companies' motivations: Profit and greed, not responsibility and morals. They hired the best lawyers, got friends in Parliament to ban the discussion of the facts in the press and, when finally cornered, offered just one-quarter of the suggested amount of compensation, but on the condition they didn't admit responsibility (whose fault was it then?). I got £15K for my arms...hmm, not so much kerching! there then.

Nowadays, thalidomide is being researched in cancer trials, and a pharmaceutical company have the European monopoly in sales. When they got that monopoly they immediately hiked up the unit price from €8 to €21. There are over 200 hundred applications for research. They have no compensation plan should the worst happen. They say they are morally responsible...I say watch this space...kerching!

Image: Mat Fraser, photography by Leon Steele

The views and opinions expressed by writers herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Wellcome Trust.