William McBride (doctor)

William Griffith McBride CBE AO (25 May 1927 – 27 June 2018) was an Australian obstetrician. He published a letter on the teratogenicity of thalidomide[1][2][3][4] following the findings of a midwife called Pat Sparrow,[5] which resulted in the reduction of the number of drugs prescribed during pregnancy. McBride was found guilty of separate counts of medical malpractice and scientific fraud[6]

Biography

McBride was born in Sydney, Australia.[7][8]

Thalidomide case

McBride published a letter in The Lancet, in December 1961, noting a large number of birth defects in children of patients who were prescribed thalidomide,[9] after a midwife called Sister Pat Sparrow first suspected the drug was causing birth defects in the babies of patients under his care at Crown Street Women's Hospital in Sydney.[10] McBride was awarded a medal and prize money by L'Institut de la Vie, a prestigious French institute, in connection with his discovery, in 1971. Using the prize money, he established Foundation 41, a Sydney-based medical research foundation concerned with the causes of birth defects. Working with P H Huang, he proposed that thalidomide caused malformations by interacting with the DNA of the dividing embryonic cells. This finding stimulated their experimentation, which showed that thalidomide may inhibit cell division in rapidly dividing cells of malignant tumors. This work was published in the journal "Pharmacology and Toxicology" in 1999 and has been rated in the top ten of the most important Australian medical discoveries.

Debendox case

McBride's involvement in the Debendox case is less illustrious.[11] In 1981, he published a paper indicating that the drug Debendox (marketed in the US as Bendectin) caused birth defects. His co-authors noted that the published paper contained manipulated data and protested[12] but their voices went unheard. Multiple lawsuits were filed by patients, and McBride was a willing witness for the claimants. Eventually, the case was investigated and, as a result, McBride was struck off the Australian medical register in 1993 for deliberately falsifying data.[13] An inquiry determined "we are forced to conclude that McBride did publish statements which he either knew were untrue or which he did not genuinely believe to be true, and in that respect was guilty of scientific fraud." He was reinstated to the medical register in 1998.[14][15][16]

The Bendectin case, and the subsequent removal of the drug from the US market, has had a number of consequences.[17] Firstly, there was an immediate increase in the rates of hospitalization for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.[18] Secondly, it created a treatment void in terms of having a safe medication that could be used for alleviating morning sickness in US pregnant women, a condition which, in the most severe form, called hyperemesis gravidarum, could be both life-threatening and cause women to terminate their pregnancy.[19] The removal from the market of a safe and effective drug for the treatment of nausea and vomiting of pregnancy resulted in the use of other, less studied drugs in pregnancy.[17][20][21] Thirdly, it has been claimed that subsequent to the Bendectin experience, drug companies stayed away from developing medications for pregnant patients.[22] As a result, only a few medications were approved by the FDA for obstetrical indications in the past several decades.[23] Lastly, the perception that all medications are teratogenic increased among pregnant women and healthcare professionals.[24]

The unfounded fear of using medications during pregnancy has precluded many women from receiving the treatment they require.[24] Leaving medical conditions untreated during pregnancy can result in adverse pregnancy outcomes or significant morbidity for both the mother and baby.[24] Ongoing education of physicians and the general public has resulted in improvements in the perception of medication use in pregnancy; however, further advances are required to overcome the devastating effects of the Bendectin saga.[17]

Honours

McBride was nominated Man of the Year for 1962,[25] a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1969 Birthday Honours),[26] Father of the Year (1972) and an Officer of the Order of Australia (1977 Silver Jubilee and Queen's Birthday Honours).[27][28]

Personal life

McBride had four children, one of whom is the soldier, lawyer, television presenter and whistleblower, David McBride.[29]

Death

McBride died, aged 91, on 27 June 2018.[30]

See also

References
  1. Papers of William McBride, ca. 1953-1996, National Library of Australia, accessed 26 July 2010
  2. 1960s Timeline – Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  3. Page 48 of The New Scientist, Page 48, Vol. 56 – published 5 October 1972
  4. Dove, Frederick. Thalidomide apology insulting, campaigners say BBC News 1 September 2012. Accessed 31 March 2017
  5. https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2018-06-29/thalidomide-william-mcbride-flawed-character-norman-swan/9920608 ABC News
  6. Dayton, Leigh (26 February 2019). "Thalidomide hero found guilty of scientific fraud". New Scientist. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  7. The most influential Australians – The Sydney Morning Herald
  8. William Griffith McBride biography – The University of Melbourne
  9. McCredie, Janet. The thalidomide story. Sydney Publishing (University of Sydney), 17 January 2016
  10. http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2018-06-29/thalidomide-william-mcbride-flawed-character-norman-swan/9920608
  11. Grant J (2007). Corrupted Science. Facts, Figures & Fun. p. 49f. ISBN 978-1-904332-73-2.
  12. The Insider, Australian Story, 22 February 2001. Retrieved 26 July 2010
  13. Thalidomide hero found guilty of scientific fraud – The New Scientist, 27 February 1991
  14. "Time Magazine" Archived 3 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Medical Tribunal of New South Wales Archived 20 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  16. Dr. McBride hails end of the affair – "The Australian"
  17. Brent R. "Medical, social, and legal implications of treating nausea and vomiting of pregnancy" Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002 May;186(5 Suppl Understanding):S262-6
  18. Kutcher, JS; Engle, A; Firth, J; Lamm, SH (2003). "Bendectin and birth defects. II: Ecological analyses" (PDF). Birth Defects Research. 67 (2): 88–97. doi:10.1002/bdra.10034. hdl:2027.42/35295. PMID 12769504.
  19. Mazzotta, P; Stewart, DE; Koren, G; Magee, LA (March 2001). "Factors associated with elective termination of pregnancy among Canadian and American women with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy". J Psychosom Obstet Gynecol. 22 (1): 7–12. doi:10.3109/01674820109049946. PMID 11317613.
  20. Leeder, JS; Spielberg, SP; MacLeod, SM (November 1983). "Bendectin: the wrong way to regulate drug availability". Can Med Assoc J. 129 (10): 1085–7. PMC 1875483. PMID 6627167.
  21. Mitchell AA, Gilboa SM, Werler MM, Kelley KE, Louik C, Hernández-Díaz S; National Birth Defects Prevention Study. Medication use during pregnancy, with particular focus on prescription drugs: 1976–2008" Am J Obstet Gynecol 2011 Jul;205(1):51.e1-8
  22. Wing, DA; Powers, B; Hickok, D (2010). "U.S. Food and Drug Administration Drug Approval: Slow Advances in Obstetric Care in the United States". Obstetrics & Gynecology. 115 (4): 825–33. doi:10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181d53843. PMID 20308845.
  23. Centerwatch. FDA Approved Drugs for Obstetrics/Gynecology (Women's Health); as seen in: https://www.centerwatch.com/drug-information/fda-approved-drugs/therapeutic-area/11/obstetrics-gynecology-womens-health
  24. Koren, G; Levichek, Z (May 2002). "The teratogenicity of drugs for nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: perceived versus true risk". Am J Obstet Gynecol. 186 (5 Suppl): S248–52. doi:10.1067/mob.2002.122601. PMID 12011895.
  25. "Saviour of babies—The Man of the Year" – Article published on page 1 of The Daily Mirror (Sydney), Sydney, Friday, 28 December 1962.
  26. It's an Honour: CBE
  27. It's an Honour: AO
  28. "Book: The Trouble with Medicine"
  29. Wroe, David (22 June 2019). "'What I've done makes sense to me': The complicated, colourful life of David McBride". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  30. "William McBride, doctor who exposed dangers of thalidomide, dies". ABC News. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
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