Mums v Big Pharma review – the ‘bored, hysterical housewives’ who exposed a horrifying scandal
Two mothers who began campaigning 17 years ago have uncovered a pharmaceutical scandal involving epilepsy drug sodium valproate, which has affected an estimated 39,399 babies with physical malformations and neurodevelopmental disorders.
The sodium valproate scandal represents a case of corporate wrongdoing uncovered not by investigative journalists or legal experts, but by ordinary mothers who refused to accept medical explanations for their children's disabilities. Janet Williams had two sons with developmental delays that doctors initially dismissed, until a specialist in 2009 suggested their condition might be linked to her epilepsy medication Epilim.
Williams began distributing leaflets in her Lancashire hometown, connecting with other families who had similar experiences. Among them was Emma Murphy, whose five out of six children had developed difficulties after exposure to the same drug. Their informal research would eventually uncover evidence of a scandal affecting thousands of families.
Medical Evidence Ignored
The mothers' campaign paralleled earlier medical research by Prof Jill Clayton-Smith, who in the mid-1990s noticed recurring patterns among children born to women treated for epilepsy. She presented findings including a 1984 US paper describing 'foetal valproate syndrome' at a conference, but was dismissed by a male-dominated audience who considered her data anecdotal.
It wasn't received as well as I'd hoped
With encouragement from Prof David Chadwick, Clayton-Smith conducted formal research that would eventually establish sodium valproate carries a 10% risk of physical malformations and 30-40% risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in exposed babies.
Legal Battle Failed
By 2011, Williams, Murphy and 138 other families had launched a class action suit against drug manufacturer Sanofi Aventis. Their legal aid was suddenly withdrawn after they were deemed unlikely to succeed, forcing lawyers to discontinue the action despite mounting evidence of the drug's dangers and the company's failure to properly warn patients.
The scandal has been compared to thalidomide in scale and suffering, with an estimated 39,399 babies affected since the risks were first identified. The mothers' persistent advocacy continues to pressure authorities and the pharmaceutical industry to acknowledge responsibility and support affected families.
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