French state must pay families over Sanofi drug linked to birth defects, court rules
- Children were born with congenital malformations, autism or learning difficulties after mothers took anti-epilepsy medication Depakine
- Court rules that Sanofi and doctors who prescribed drug were also responsible, in scandal that has affected 15,000 to 30,000 children
A court on Thursday ordered the French state to pay tens of thousands of euros in damages after finding it responsible in a case over birth defects linked to an anti-epilepsy drug made by pharmaceutical giant Sanofi.
The French court ordered the state to compensate three families who filed complaints after the women took the medicine and gave birth to children with congenital malformations, autism or learning difficulties.
The court ruled that Sanofi and doctors who prescribed the drug Depakine were also responsible, in a scandal that has affected 15,000 to 30,000 children, studies have found.
The state has been ordered to compensate the three families €20,000 to €290,000 (US$22,500 to US$327,000), depending on the date of birth of the five children, now aged between 11 and 35.
“The state has neglected its duties to monitor [drugs],” the court said in a statement.
“I welcome the conviction of the state, which we were expecting,” said Marine Martin, president of the APESAC association that represents 7,000 victims’ families.
