Paris (AFP)

For a better support of the victims of Depakine, the Assembly unanimously adopted Wednesday a resolution inviting the government to simplify the compensation mechanism deemed too complex.

An anti-epileptic manufactured by Sanofi, Depakine is at the center of a resounding health scandal because of congenital malformations caused in the children of women undergoing treatment during their pregnancy.

Sodium valproate (Depakine and its derivatives) has been responsible since 1967 for malformations in 2,150 to 4,100 children, and neurodevelopmental disorders in 16,600 to 30,400 children, according to estimates by the National Health Insurance Agency and the National Agency for Drug Safety. (ANSM).

A compensation scheme for victims has been entrusted to the National Office for Compensation of Medical Accidents (ONIAM) but this system, which came into force in 2017, is struggling to impose itself.

"As of April 30, 1,655 claims were filed against 10,290 expected" and "out of the 78 million budget provisioned, only 16 million were spent," said MP Véronique Louwagie (LR), author of the proposal for resolution.

According to her, the complexity of the system which is based on a dual decision-making body: a panel of experts that examines the liability for damages and a compensation committee that decides on the causes, nature and extent damage.

"The required supporting documents are numerous and the records can reach 800 pages and 12 kg of paper", explained the MP evoking "insurmountable barriers".

In its resolution, it proposed that the government seize the submission in September of a report to Parliament on the subject to present avenues for reform of the device.

She suggested merging the two colleges of experts and hoped that the government would re-evaluate its budget to reflect the changing number of victims.

Christelle Dubos, Secretary of State to the Minister of Health, acknowledged difficulties in setting up the compensation scheme. She expressed support for the merger of the two bodies of expertise but expressed reservations on the revaluation of the budget, considering it premature.

"The annual staffing is calibrated according to the capacity of examination of the files" and "the expenses will be reevaluated according to the rise in load of the device", she assured.

The amounts granted vary according to the files. At the end of May, a heavily affected 21-year-old (cardiac malformation, autism, addiction) was awarded 1.3 million euros.

Regarding the budget, the group Sanofi refused to contribute to the compensation of victims but the Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn said she "would" ensure that the laboratory "refund the sums" advanced.

For the secretary of state, "the urgency" is to "spot" the potential victims because "many families do not know that they can be compensated".

"The Minister of Health has instructed to identify all pregnant women who have taken depakine during pregnancy in the health insurance databases to be contacted proactively and to benefit from compensation, "she said.

? 2019 AFP