Good news for pregnant mums with sickness

The 80% of women who suffer from nausea and vomiting while pregnant will be happy that a drug for morning sickness has finally been licensed in the UK.

The drug, Xonvea, which can reduce symptoms by up to two-thirds, has been available for years in many countries. But drug companies and doctors are reluctant to promote morning sickness drugs in the UK as the result of the thalidomide scandal, which first broke in the late 1950s, where use of the drug led to thousands of babies being born with severe birth defects.

“Xonvea hasn’t been licensed in the UK before now because the process is complex and there hasn’t been a drug company willing to try it,” said Caitlin Dean, chair of the Pregnancy Sickness Support charity.

She added that this would now hopefully change.