11/27/2021

This Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of the withdrawal of Thalidomide from the market in Germany. On this occasion, Dr. Michael Wirtz, shareholder of Grünenthal, apologised to those affected and their families on behalf of his family. This took place in October, during a personal conversation with Georg Löwenhauser, who is affected by Thalidomide. A video excerpt of this conversation was shown publicly today during an event organised by the German Association of People affected by Thalidomide. The event took place in Hamburg as part of the 60th anniversary of the market withdrawal of Thalidomide.

From many conversations, we know the importance of this gesture for people affected by Thalidomide and their parents. We therefore very much welcome this step. It is an important point on the chosen path of dialogue between those affected, Grünenthal and the owning family.

We cannot change what has happened, but we want to take responsibility with our "Grünenthal Foundation for the Support of Thalidomide Affected Persons" and contribute to improving the quality of life. The foundation supports projects that enable people affected by Thalidomide to participate more in society. This includes not only modifications to their living environment, such as in the bathroom or kitchen but also personal assistance in everyday life, for example, to enable individual travel.

The Thalidomide tragedy is part of our corporate history, and we deeply regret the far-reaching consequences. We address all facets of this issue and are committed to providing comprehensive information about the tragedy. Background information on this topic can be found on our website www.thalidomide-tragedy.com. Further information on the Grünenthal Foundation can be found here: www.grunenthal-foundation.com