The DES Story – Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique

Social Pharmacology: Michel Tournaire, Sylvie Epelboin and Emmanuel Devouche

Smokey Sunset
The DES story is “exemplary” because it involves the different society actors: health professionals, health authorities, patients associations, media and pharmaceutical companies. Smokey Sunset.

Study Abstract

Diethylstilbestrol Story,
Therapie,
Pharmacologie sociale,
PMID: PubMed 24698194
2014 Jan-Feb; 69(1):101-14

This story, that has been going on for 75 years begins with an infatuation for a “miraculous” drug supposed to, according to a theory and without scientific proof of effectiveness, reduce the pregnancy complications, especially the number of miscarriages.
The next steps are painful with the discovery during the seventies, for the in utero exposed daughters, of particular cancers (clear cells adenocarcinoma) of the uterus cervix or the vagina, then during the eighties infertility and pregnancy accidents.
This story is exemplary because it involves the different society actors whose roles will be analysed: health professionals, health authorities, patients associations, media and pharmaceutical companies.
We will propose lessons for the future.

More DES DiEthylStilbestrol Resources

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