Diageo has announced that it is to increase its annual payment to the Thalidomide Trust from £2.8m to £6.5m. The Trust provides funds for people suffering from genetic abnormalities which resulted from mothers taking the drug thalidomide when pregnant. The drug was marketed in the late 1950s and early 1960s and was mainly given to pregnant women as a treatment for morning sickness. There are 456 surviving victims of the drug who benefit from the Trust.
The increase in the payment will enable the Trust to increase payments to those affected and will help them to cope with increasing levels of disability as they reach middle age. Some people have suffered symptoms such as joint degeneration as they have got older. Also, the life expectancy of those affected by the drug is greater than was originally thought at the time the Trust was set up. The new settlement will run until 2037.
The Trust currently pays victims an average of £13,000 a year. Diageo has also announced that it will not consider any further claims for compensation from any individual after the end of 2006.
Thalidomide Payouts to Rise
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