A “whitewash” probe into claims hormone pregnancy tests caused cost more than £158,000 of public money.
The Record has campaigned for those affected by , which was made by Schering and given to 1.5million UK women from 1958-78 before it was taken off the market amid fears of a link to birth defects.
Campaigners blame Primodos and other hormone test drugs for causing abnormalities in thousands of babies.
The inquiry into the use of oral hormone pregnancy tests was set up by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2014.
The review ended in November 2017 with the Expert Working Group (EWG) concluding that there was no “causal association” between Primodos and birth defects.
The probe immediately attracted criticism because it was run by the MHRA, which signed off the pills as safe in the first place.
Campaigning Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi slammed the panel’s lack of progress calling it “a complete whitewash.”
The Record can reveal the cost of the review was £158,031 – the majority was £100,960 for the translation of German documents relating to Schering from the Landesarchiv Berlin – the Berlin state archive.
Marie Lyon, chairwoman of the Association for Children Damaged by Hormone Pregnancy tests, said: “The review was a whitewash and wasted time for campaigners who have been fighting a long time for justice.
“The Commission on Human Medicines and the MHRA declare costs of £158,031.37 on a biased, badly managed, inconclusive review.
“It is a disgraceful use of public money which the MHRA used to defend the actions of the Committee on Safety of Medicines/Drugs, the predecessor to the MHRA.”
An MHRA spokesman said: “The review involved services of a professional researcher and bringing in translating services to ensure the EWG was able to consider all evidence.”
Bayer, which acquired Schering in 2006, denies Primodos was responsible for defects.
● Have you been affected? Contact jennifer.hyland@reachplc.com
