The Department of Health has asked scientists at Exeter University to carry out research into the long-term impact of the controversial pregnancy drug DES, following an ITV News investigation.
Diethylstilbestrol, commonly known as DES, was a synthetic hormone prescribed to an estimated 300,000 women on the NHS between the late 1930s and 1980s to treat several issues, including miscarriage, until it was linked to rare cancers and infertility in the daughters of those who took it.
After ITV News exposed years of failure from the health authorities to protect and monitor those exposed to the drug, ministers have now commissioned research on DES, which is expected to take at least six months.
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