Gruenenthal's thalidomide apology in full

Gruenenthal has apologised to the thousands of children born without limbs.

The German pharmaceutical company Gruenenthal who manufactured the anti-morning sickness drug thalidomide has apologised to the thousands of children born without limbs as a result of its use.

Gruenenthal's chief executive Harald Stock will give a speech at the inauguration of a special memorial in Stolberg, Germany today but the speech was published on the company's website.

In the speech he refers to a Mr Igel, thought to be Johannes Igel who campaigned for donations towards the "erection or maintenance" of a public memorial in Stolberg commemorating the victims of the thalidomide.

Here is the text in full of Mr Stock's speech: