Scots researchers have made a huge leap forward in proving a link between controversial pregnancy testing drug Primodos and birth defects.
Primodos was given to 1.5million UK women as a hormone pregnancy test between 1958 and 1978.
Last year, the Record reported that Professor Neil Vargesson, from the University of Aberdeen, had linked Primodos with developmental anomalies in fish embryos.
But in 2017, a review into the tests by the Commission on Human Medicines concluded there was no “causal association” between their use and birth defects or miscarriage.
That review was later branded a whitewash by MPS and a new review set up.
Now we can reveal Professor Vargesson’s team have found there is a link between embryo defects and Primodos – even at a lower dose.
He said: “We are the only lab in the world that is doing any work on Primodos in an embryo setting.
“We started looking at the affects with much lower doses and looking for much more subtle damage. We have found there is still damage at even lower doses and this work is ongoing.”
Norethisterone acetate and ethinyl estradiol were the main drug components in Primodos. They are still used to treat endometriosis and as a contraceptives.
Professor Vargesson said: “In Primodos, norethisterone acetate was used at 10mg and you took two tablets and if you didn’t have a bleed you were pregnant. Norethisterone acetate is the active ingredient in a morning after pill and it’s used at 350micrograms per tablet.
“That’s around 30 times lower the dose than in Primodos.
“The Morning after pill prevents pregnancy by changing the uterine lining to prevent implantation. What would happen if you had an established pregnancy and you took a dose of that drug 30 times higher? It’s a question that the MHRA still haven’t answered.”
Last month, campaigners told how they hoped a UK Government-ordered review into public health scandals – including Primodos – would end a 40-year fight for justice.
The Government has appointed the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review (IMMDS) to respond to patients’ concerns.
A spokeswoman for Bayer, who made the drug, said: “Since the discontinuation of legal action in 1982, no new scientific knowledge has been produced which would call into question the validity of the previous assessment of there being no link between Primodos and congenital abnormalities.”
● Have you been affected by Primodos? If so please contact j.hyland@dailyrecord.co.uk
