N.O.R.F Posted June 28, 2007 If awareness is not raised, if systems are not in place and people remain ignorant this will be repeated in east Africa. Pfizer wins early Nigeria battle A Nigerian court has refused to allow more cases to be added to a lawsuit against a pharmaceutical giant accused of improper drugs trials on children. Pfizer lawyers argued in Abuja that the amendments had been improperly filed. The Nigerian government wants $7bn in damages and compensation for the families of the children who died or suffered serious side-effects. Some 200 children took part in trials for a new anti-meningitis drug in 1996. Pfizer says the trials were lawful. The court rejected a bid by the Nigerian government's counsel to include 85 new claims - in addition to an earlier 54, agreeing with Pfizer that it had been improperly filed. Officials in Kano say more than 50 children died in the experiment, while many others developed mental and physical deformities. But Pfizer says only 11 of the 200 children in the drug trial died. Pfizer tested the then unregistered drug in Nigeria's north-western Kano State during an outbreak of meningitis which had affected thousands of children. Following pressure, the Nigerian government set up an expert medical panel to review the drug trial. It concluded that the experiment was "an illegal trial of an unregistered drug" and a "clear case of exploitation of the ignorant". "We did not suspect that the children were being used for an experiment," Hassan Sani, the father of a girl who was tested, told the BBC in Kano recently. "The American doctors took advantage of our illiteracy and cheated us and our children. We thought they were helping us," he said. Pfizer denied any wrongdoing and said its trial of Trovan was conducted in accordance with Nigerian regulations. The Pfizer experiment was cited by many as a reason for the mass rejection of polio vaccinations in many parts of northern Nigeria in recent years. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6241322.stm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malika Posted June 28, 2007 "The Nigerian government wants $7bn in damages and compensation for the families of the children who died or suffered serious side-effects." Were was this Goverment when this company was dishing out the drug? Bloody corrupted African goverments.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jacaylbaro Posted June 28, 2007 That is the country with a strong government ,,,,,,,, Now worry about Somalia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N.O.R.F Posted June 28, 2007 What processes are in place JB? Somalis do not trust gaalo carrying medicines so thats the best hope at the moment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malika Posted June 28, 2007 ^^But they would trust a street vender,whom has no qualification and knowledge of any drug to sell them childrens vacination....its equally wrong! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N.O.R.F Posted June 28, 2007 ^^True Alot of medicine coming from India at the moment. There have been warnings against them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Malika Posted June 28, 2007 Oh Africa,its just amazing we still survive..I remember going to the doctors with my dad, he slips the doc something under the table voila!!I am prescribe 20 injections...what was my father thinking.. , up to today, I dont know what those injections were for,I bet nor did my father.. Amazing!! as they say,ignorance is bliss! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
