2018 Social History of Medicine Conference

Charles Feeny has been invited to speak at the 2018 Social History of Medicine Conference
“Conformity, Resistance Dialogue and Deviance in Health and Medicine” at the University of Liverpool in July 2018. Charles Feeny will be participating in a round table discussion on Primodos chaired by Jesse Olszynko-Gryn of the University of Cambridge. Primodos was a hormone based pregnancy testing drug used in the 1960’s and 1970’s .

A Group of parents whose children suffered birth defects after the use of Primodos have resolutely campaigned for the manufacturers Bayer Schering and the Government to accept the damage caused by Primodos and the failures in transparency and regulation that led to the drug not been withdrawn sooner. Charles has been retained to advise the parent group.

The Primodos case is attracting considerable publicity and widespread support from members of parliament. Recently the Health Minister, Jeremy Hunt, announced that there would be a review of the regulatory issues raised by history of Primodos.

Other participants at the round table discussion include Jason Farrell of Sky News who has campaigned for transparency in relation to Primodos, Maria Lyon, leader of the victims group, and Dr Neil Vargesson of the University of Aberdeen who is undertaking ground breaking research which it is hoped, with appropriate financing, will finally prove the link between Primodos and birth defects.

The conference is to be held in July and further details of the conference and workshop will follow in due course.