A lawsuit claiming an experimental drug produced by Pfizer led to the deaths of 11 children, left others blind, paralyzed or brain-damaged, has been settled.
Pfizer reached a settlement with the lawyers who represent 192 Nigerians who suffered the effects of the antibiotic, Trovan or are related to those who died after taking it, according to the New Haven Register.
The case goes back to 1996. That’s when the drug trials were held. After the Food and Drug Administration raised concerns about Trovan, Pfizer stopped making it in 2003.
West Haven Attorney Richard Altschuler and his African legal colleagues filed a $2 billion lawsuit against Pfizer and for the past 12 years it’s been in litigation in the United States and Nigeria.
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The terms of the settlement are not being released. The Register received a joint statement from both sides of the dispute. “We are pleased to announce that we have reached a final agreement to settle the Trovan cases pending in the United States and Nigeria. The parties agree that settlement is in the best interests of all involved. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the plaintiffs will join the ongoing Healthcare/Meningitis Trust Fund process, which is being managed by an independent board of trustees in Kano, Nigeria,” the statement added.
It is possible that the victims and families will receive more than a proposed settlement in 2009, that would have given them $35 million, the paper reported.
