Spanish parents’ fury after mix-up saw babies fed ‘werewolf ’ drug
ANGER was growing in Spain yesterday over the handling of a pharmaceutical mix-up that caused 20 babies to develop “werewolf syndrome” and sprout hair all over their bodies.
The infants had all been taking a syrup to treat reflux, which was supposed to contain the drug omeprazole. But instead, due to a labelling error, pharmacists had used a hair-growing alopecia medicine containing minoxidil, which triggered cases of hypertrichosis.
Some of the parents, who had watched in alarm as their babies became covered in dark hair, have now accused health authorities of responding slowly to the issue and of failing to offer support and information.
María Luisa Carcedo, the Spanish health minister, said this week the Malaga-based company Farma-química Sur was closed down pending an inquiry into the error.
But on Thursday, the director of Spain’s Agency for Medicines and Health Products admitted it had become aware of the first cases in May.
It was not until July that the labelling error was finally identified, the laboratory shut down and several batches of the medicine recalled. “Why does it take more than two months to test a medicine?” asked one mother of the affected babies. She told Spain’s Antena 3 television station that she was “indignant” about the lack of help and contact from health authorities.
Experts agree the excess hair will gradually fall out, but the patients’ ombudsman has pointed out that minoxidil could affect internal organs.