Nigerian Victims File Fresh Application to Join Suit Against Pfizer

Barely two months after their application to be joined in the suit against Pfitzer was rejected, the victims of the 1996 Pfizer drug test in Kano in northern Nigeria on Monday filed a fresh motion before a federal high court in Abuja to be joined in the suit.

The victims, who applied as interveners in the suit originally filed by Pfizer against the federal government, contended that as people affected by the drug test they ought to be heard.

Justice Anwuri Chikere of the high court had earlier struck out the application by the interveners for lack of diligent prosecution and had adjourned for adoption of briefs by the other parties.

Based on the fresh application by the interveners, Justice Chikere had to adjourn the case until March 10.

Meanwhile, the counsel for Pfizer, Mr Anthony Idigbe, had alleged that the fresh application was an attempt to frustrate expeditious hearing of the case.

However, the counsel to the Federal Government, Professor Oluyemi Osinbajo did not oppose the application.

The over 200 victims of the Trovan test applied to team up with the Federal Government to ensure that the drug company did not have its way.

They want the court to dismiss an application by Pfizer seeking to quash a Federal Government report on the clinical trial of its Trovan drug on children which indicted the company.

The March 2001 report found Pfizer culpable for the death of 11 Nigerian children and several others who suffered varying degrees of deformation.

The drug company conducted a trial of its Trovan drug on 200 children suffering from cerebro-spinal meningitis and in the process, some of them died, while others suffered permanent disabilities.

Three of the victims, who applied on behalf of others are, Samaila Musa, Nuruddini Kwajalawa and Ismaila Zubairu, who represented his deceased son, Mustapha.

The applicants contended that as the persons directly affected by the clinical trial, the outcome of the court case would also affect their rights.

Source African Press Agency

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