Disappointment as funding withdrawn for case against drug manufacturer

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A MOTHER who was part of a landmark legal case brought by families of disabled children against a drug company has spoken of her disappointment at hearing it is to be dropped.
Jane Yeomans, of Falmouth, was among the parents who said epilepsy drugs containing a controversial anti-convulsant were to blame for a range of disabilities in their offspring.
Four of her six children have learning disabilities "bordering on autism" which make speech, language and socialising difficult for them.
Seven years ago, national law firm Irwin Mitchell began a legal action against Sanofi Aventis, the manufacturer of Epilim, on behalf of 164 children whose families said they suffered birth defects because their mothers took the drug during pregnancy.
The case had been publicly funded through the Legal Services Commission (LSC), but just six weeks before the trial was due to start, the LSC announced it was withdrawing this funding.
On Friday many of the families attended the Law Courts in London to hear the LSC confirm its intention before Mr Justice Eady, although formal termination of the case was adjourned until May.
Mrs Yeomans said: "We are absolutely gutted. We couldn't believe it.
"The lawyers have been going great guns to get compensation for us and to take away the funding is so cruel.
"We were hoping for compensation to have something to leave the children – to give them financial security – but that's been taken away."
Carer
Mrs Yeomans is a full-time carer for Katie, 8, Olivia, 15, Nathan, 18 and Sebastian, 20.
She and husband Tony, a driving instructor, also have two older children, Melissa and Jude, and Mrs Yeomans said the family's life was tough.
"It's like having four toddlers in the house, as you're constantly explaining things to them," she said.
"The older two can't work as people aren't willing to take them on. It's been really hard for them."
The claim was that the defects were a result of drugs such as Epilim, which contain a controversial anti-convulsant called sodium valproate.
"Our clients are understandably devastated that their case will never be heard in court after six years of preparation for trial," said David Body, a partner at Irwin Mitchell.
"This is exactly the kind of wide public interest case the LSC should be funding.
In a statement defending its decision, the LSC said it had "great sympathy" with the families, but that its legal experts had advised against backing the case any further.
Sanofi Aventis denies it has any liability.
In a statement, a company spokesman said: "We have always provided appropriate information and warnings in relation to the potential side-effects and risks associated with the use of sodium valproate, including possible risks to the unborn child, in line with developing scientific knowledge.
"For this reason, we have always believed the claimants' case would be unsuccessful."
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