Better Living Through Chemistry

Special Free Screening & Discussion: CONTERGAN: A SINGLE TABLET, March 7
SCREENING INFO. Sunday, March 7, 2 - 6pm Austin Studios Screening Room (1901 E. 51st St - Gate 2 by the beautiful water tower) FREE - Reserve Now .
From 1957-1961 German pharmaceutical giant Grunenthal GmbH marketed a popular sleeping pill named Contergan (Thalidomide). It was disastrously touted as an effective alleviator of morning sickness. Numerous pregnant women in 46 countries took the pill and began having stillborn children or giving birth to children with teratogenic damage, including stunted arms and legs. Estimates run as high as 100,000 fetuses were naturally aborted, while 5000 children survived but faced enormous obstacles and challenges for their parents.
In this cinematic recreation of the tragedy, lawyer Paul Wegener takes up the cause of getting the drug off the market and prosecuting the pharmaceutical company for negligence in their testing and knowledge of potential side effects.