Source: Wikileaks

Document ID: 09ABUJA671

Crowdleak, January 1, 2011

In April 2009, Pfizer reportedly reached a tentative agreement on lawsuits regarding the vaccine trials it had conducted in 1996. Pfizer tested Trovan, an oral antibiotic, on children of Nigeria’s Kano state. To avoid the lengthy clinical trial process required by the Food and Drug Administration, Pfizer decided to expedite the production of Trovan.

It tested its efficacy on Kano children during a meningitis epidemic, with the aid of the non-profit, Doctors Without Borders. This bypasses national and international standards on medical ethics and put the lives of the Kano children in danger.

Since the testing, there has been one civil suit and one criminal case in both the Kano State and Federal High Courts. The Pfizer lawyers have worked closely with a former Nigerian Head of State on a $75 million settlement. The breakdown of the settlement would provide $10 million for legal fees; $30 million to the Kano State government; and $35 million to participants and families.

The US government was fully aware of the cases against Pfizer in Nigeria and helped Pfizer develop a new framework to conduct future testing in Nigeria. Pfizer considers Nigeria to be a major growth market and is working hard to restore its image there.