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50 years after recalling the harmful morning-illness prevention drug Thalidomide, that was infamous for causing thousands of babies born with congenital birth defects, including shortened arms and legs, or no limbs at all,, issued its first ever apology.

While it was never approved by America's FDA and public health officials, the drug was widely distributed in Europe, Australia, Canada and Japan.

AP news quotes Gruenenthal Group's chief executive:

"We ask for forgiveness that for nearly 50 years we didn't find a way of reaching out to you from human being to human being," Harald Stock said. "We ask that you regard our long silence as a sign of the shock that your fate caused in us."

Stock made his speech in in West Germany where the company was originally based and unveiled a statue called "the sick child" that symbolizes a child born without limbs because of the drug.

Now adults, the "sick children" born under the effects of the Thalidomide reject the executives apology, claiming that his efforts are too little too late.

"It's a disgrace that it's taken them 50 years to apologize," 52-year-old Freddie Astbury, of Liverpool, England, who was born without arms or legs after his mother took thalidomide tells Associated Press. Now an advocacy group for survivors he adds that he is "gobsmacked (astounded)" that "For years, (Gruenenthal) have insisted they never did anything wrong and refused to talk to us," and now have the audacity to issue an apology.

 He also said the company should offer compensation. "It's time to put their money where their mouth is," he said. "For me to drive costs about 50,000 pounds ($79,000) for a car with all the adaptations," he said. "A lot of us depend on specialist care and that runs into the millions." While trust funds have been set up by British distributors of the drug, Gruenenthal has never agreed to settle.

Thalidomide is a powerful sedative that was initially used to combat morning sickness, until it was found to have grave adverse effects for babies. AP reports that Thalidomide is still sold today, but as a treatment for multiple myeloma, a bone marrow cancer and leprosy. It is also being studied to see if it might be useful for other conditions including AIDS, arthritis and other cancers.