The northern state of Kano sued Pfizer for $2 billion in damages and pressed for criminal charges over the testing of the antibiotic Trovan on children in Kano during a meningitis epidemic that killed 12,000 children in six months. The federal government is also suing for an additional $6.5 billion and also pressing criminal charges.
Pfizer has denied accusations that Trovan has harmed children and that the company did not obtain proper regulatory and parental approval. The High Court in Kano has adjourned the state criminal case to January 29, 2008 to hear a motion in which Pfizer challenges the court’s jurisdiction.