German drugmaker Grunenthal GmbH and companies now part of GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Sanofi hid results of studies that would have revealed birth defects caused by Thalidomide sooner, 13 Americans claimed in a lawsuit. Born with birth defects in from 1957 to 1962, seven men and six women sued the drugmakers and distributors Oct. 25 in state court in Philadelphia, claiming the businesses conspired to withhold information to boost sales and protect themselves from liability. The drug was then prescribed for morning sickness early in pregnancies.
