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The Grünenthal Foundation implements support projects to help Thalidomide-affected people improve their life situations sustainably and quickly.

Who we are

The Grünenthal Foundation for the Support of Thalidomide-affected People

The Grünenthal Foundation was established in 2012 and integrated the “Hardship Initiative” founded by Grünenthal in 2011. The purpose of the foundation is to improve the life situation of Thalidomide-affected people. We provide support worldwide, as long as the person making the request is recognised by the Contergan Foundation for Disabled People or a similar institution that uses comparable criteria.

Continual dialogue with affected people and their representatives is important to us in order to offer support where it is needed the most.

Please contact us.

Tom Hermes, Dr. Stephan Frings, Susanne Schmitt-Degenhardt and Patrick Thevis, the Grünenthal Foundation team supporting thalidomide victims.

Foundation bodies

Our organization

As a special-purpose foundation, our mission is to contribute to improving the living conditions of those affected. We aim to process applications as quickly and unbureaucratically as possible. The foundation is organized to reflect this ambition.

The Grünenthal Foundation has two bodies:

The Board

The Board is the controlling instance of the foundation. Its members decide on support for new projects and how to use the foundation's funds. Board members include Grünenthal shareholders and personalities outside the company committed to the interests of thalidomide victims.

The Commission

The Commission evaluates applications for support that exceed a value of 10,000 euros. It meets six times a year and comprises employees by the foundation and Grünenthal.

Support services

The core of our work consists of providing aids that make life in your own home easier, promote contact with other people, or enable you to carry out your professional work activities.

Since 2007, Grünenthal has assumed increased responsibility for supporting people affected by the Thalidomide tragedy. What began as a dialogue with individual representatives of affected people led to an apology and ultimately to the establishment of the Hardship Initiative and the formation of the Grünenthal Foundation. One important step in addressing Thalidomide-affected people was a request for forgiveness by then Chairman of the Management Board Dr. Harald F. Stock. On August 31, 2012, he issued an apology to Thalidomide-affected people and their families. The Grünenthal Foundation for the Support of Thalidomide-affected People was founded in the same year. The purpose of the foundation is to improve the life situation of affected people.

A round table discussion with representatives from associations of affected people also played a significant role in helping to gradually establish a trusting relationship between the Grünenthal Foundation and affected people.

The Grünenthal Foundation primarily focuses on helping affected people to maintain mobility and autonomy in their living environment. The foundation provides support worldwide, as long as the person making the request is recognised by the Contergan Foundation for Disabled People or a similar institution that uses comparable criteria. More than 4,500 requests have been granted since the foundation was established.

The Grünenthal Foundation engages in ongoing dialogue with affected people in order to better understand their individual needs and learn what forms of support are required. Regular discussions with Thalidomide-affected people have repeatedly demonstrated the importance of this direct person-to-person interaction. The foundation will continue to stand by people affected by Thalidomide in the future, continually adapting its services to their changing needs.

We will do this by engaging in continual dialogue with Thalidomide-affected people and focusing our work on providing added value through our support services to improve quality of life for affected people.

Thalidomide and our engagement today

The Thalidomide tragedy will always be a part of Grünenthal’s history. Grünenthal will never forget what happened and we deeply regret the wide-ranging consequences for the people affected and their families.

It has been over 60 years since Grünenthal launched the active substance Thalidomide on the market as a sedative. The introduction of this medication led to the start of the Thalidomide tragedy. Today, there are around 5,000 people worldwide who were born with significant birth defects. Over the years, Grünenthal has made over EUR 100 million available to affected people. Many of our licensing partners, in many cases working together with national governments, have also provided support for affected people.

Additional information on the tragedy

Contact us

Do you have questions or suggestions? Feel free to write us an e-mail or give us a call.