SYDNEY: An Australian woman born without arms and legs after her mother took thalidomide during pregnancy, on Wednesday won a landmark multi-million dollar settlement in her class action against drug firms.

Lynette Rowe, 50, is leading a mass lawsuit on behalf of people born with congenital defects in Australia and New Zealand between 1958 and 1970 whose mothers took the sedative thalidomide, made by German chemical firm Grunenthal.

Rowe claims her condition was caused by her mother's consumption of thalidomide and is suing Grunenthal, defunct British-based distributor The Distillers Company and Diageo.

Distillers is now part of Diageo, which was created through the merger of Grand Metropolitan and Guinness in 1997.

Lawyers told the Supreme Court in Victoria state that Rowe had reached a confidential settlement in her case with Diageo on Wednesday, describing it as a “multi-million dollar amount”.—AFP