Bendectin and Birth Defects: The Challenges of Mass Toxic Substances LitigationBenedictin was prescribed to more than thirty five million American women from its introduction in 1956 until 1983, when it was withdrawn from the market. The drug's manufacturer, Merrill Dow Pharmaceuticals, a major U. S. pharmaceutical firm, joined a list of other companies whose product liabilities would result in precedent setting litigation. Before it was over, the Benedictin litigation would involve 2,000 claimants over a fifteen year period.