Nigerian families of meningitis drug trial victims finally get compensation as drug giant Pfizer lost the legal battle

Pfizer pays out to Nigerian families of meningitis drug trial victims

Pfizer pays compensation to families of four children after 15-year legal battle over controversial drug trial in state of Kano

The parents of four Nigerian children who died of meningitis have become the first winners of a 15-year legal battle against Pfizer over a fiercely controversial drug trial.

The world's biggest research-based pharmaceutical company announced on Thursday that it had made payments of $175,000 (£108,000) to each family. More such compensation settlements are expected to follow.

Pfizer was sued after 11 children died in a clinical trial when the northern state of Kano was hit by Africa's worst ever meningitis epidemic in 1996. A hundred children were given an experimental oral antibiotic called Trovan, while a further hundred received ceftriaxone, the "gold-standard" treatment of modern medicine.

Five children died on Trovan and six on ceftriaxone. But later it was claimed that Pfizer did not have proper consent from parents to use an experimental drug on their children and questions were raised over the documentation of the trial.

Legal action filed against the company alleged that some received a dose lower than recommended, leaving many children with brain damage, paralysis or slurred speech.

US-based Pfizer had argued that meningitis and not its antibiotic had led to the deaths of 11 children and harm to dozens of others. But in 2009 it reached a tentative out-of-court settlement with the Kano state government worth $75m.

The families of four of the children each collected cheques for $175,000 from a compensation trust fund, after submitting DNA samples to show that the dead were their offspring.

The compensation was the first given out by the Healthcare/Meningitis Trust Fund. The decision over who is compensated and for how much is being managed by an independent board of trustees in Kano, not by the government or Pfizer, the company has said. "We are pleased that these four individuals, the first group of qualified claimants of the Healthcare/Meningitis Trust Fund, have received compensation," said a spokesman.

"This is the first step in a multiphase review process by which the independent board of trustees that manages the funds will deliver payments to all other claimants.

"We thank them for their commitment and dedication to seeing this process through in the most timely and transparent way possible."

But one parent who lost a daughter said the process was still dogged by local factionalism and he had no idea when he would receive money.

"I talked to my attorney this week," said the man, who did not wish to be named for legal reasons. "They are still in contact with Pfizer as to when I will get paid. We are just crossing our fingers."

He added: "We are fed up with this case. Our children are dead and some are maimed. We want to end this matter now, but some people are being opportunist for riches."

Pfizer said in February it had settled all outstanding lawsuits involving accusations that it tested the experimental antibiotic Trovan on children.

The pharmaceutical giant also agreed to sponsor health projects in Kano as well as creating a fund of $35m to compensate those affected.

But last year a US diplomatic cable uncovered by WikiLeaks revealed that Pfizer hired investigators to look for evidence of corruption against the Nigerian attorney general in an effort to persuade him to drop the legal action.

The cable reported a meeting between Pfizer's country manager, Enrico Liggeri, and US officials at the Abuja embassy on 9 April 2009. It stated: "According to Liggeri, Pfizer had hired investigators to uncover corruption links to federal attorney general Michael Aondoakaa to expose him and put pressure on him to drop the federal cases.

He said Pfizer's investigators were passing this information to local media."

There is no suggestion that the attorney general was swayed by the pressure.

Pfizer had planned to sell Trovan in the US and Europe after the trials on African children. However, its licence was withdrawn in Europe because of concern over liver toxicity.

This article appreared in http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/11/pfizer-nigeria-meningitis-drug-compensation

2011 William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize - Finalists announced - Monash Gallery of Art, Victoria - Exhibition 16 Sep ~ 16 Oct

Thirty seven images by some of Australia’s best photographers are in the running for the $25 000 William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize. The finalist’s works were selected from approximately 2 000 photographs submitted by 432 entrants. One of these finalists will win the $25 000 first prize. Three finalists will be awarded an Adobe Honourable Mention prize.

FINALISTS


Warwick Baker
Kate Bernauer
Magdalena Bors
Chris Budgeon
Elaine Campaner
Michael Corridore
Jagath Dheerasekara
Jackson Eaton
Cherine Fahd
Sean Fennessy
Anne Ferran
Phillip George
Dean Golja
Natalie Grono
David Manley
Olivia Martin-McGuire
Prudence Murphy
Harry Nankin
Catherine Nelson
Matthew Newton
Selina Ou
Max Pam
Polixeni Papapetrou
Geoff Parr
Sonia Payes
Drew Pettifer
Helen Pynor
Jacky Redgate
Simone Rosenbauer
Julie Rrap
Martin Smith
Simon Terrill
Claudia Terstappen
Glenn Walls
Rudi Williams
Alex Wisser
Yiwen Yao


The 2011 Bowness Photography Prize judging panel is:
ROBYN STACEY, photographer,
GEOFFREY SMITH, Chairman of Sotheby's Australia and Trustee of the MGA Foundation and SHAUNE LAKIN, MGA Gallery Director.


EXHIBITION OPENING AND ANNOUNCEMENT: Thursday 15 September
ARTIST'S PARTY: Saturday 15 October
EXHIBITION CLOSES: Sunday 16 October


Established in 2006 to promote excellence in photography, the annual non-acquisitive William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize is an initiative of the MGA Foundation. Among Australia’s most important art prizes, the Bowness Photography Prize is the country’s most coveted photography prize.


For current information go to www.mga.org.au


Text courtesy of Monash Gallery of Art

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Jagath Dheerasekara's work can be viewed at http://jd.photoshelter.com/

At The Vanishing Point - Contemporary Art Inc presents "Stars Sky Trees Breeze" : Jagath’s journey 2010 curated by Djon Mundine OAM

At The Vanishing Point - Contemporary Art Inc presents

Stars Sky Trees Breeze

(Jagath’s journey 2010)

JAGATH DHEERASEKARA

Curated by Djon Mundine

30 June – 17 July 2011

Opening launch, WEDNESDAY 29 JUNE 6-8pm

Stars Sky Trees Breeze (Jagath’s journey 2010)

ATVP celebrates NAIDOC Week with a specially curated exhibition by eminent contemporary aboriginal art curator Djon Mundine OAM.

Stars Sky Trees Breeze’s focal point is a photographic series (of the same title) by Jagath Dheerekara, a Sydney-based documentary and reportage photographic artist of Lankan origin. Dheerasekara has captured a series of makeshift outdoor beds, on an invited stay during 2009 and 2010 with the Alyawarr people in the central Australia’s Ampilatwatja community, Northern Territory.

Ampilatwatja, located 320km northeast of Alice Springs, is home for less than 1000 Alyawarre people. Their struggle to survive 200+ years of colonisation has been complicated further since 2007 by the introduction of the Northern Territory Intervention - of which Ampilatwatja is a prescribed community.

Many in Amplilatwatja consider the intervention as "an invasion, total disempowerment and a revoking of hard won land rights" and in July 2009, Alyawarr elders of Ampilatwatja walked off the prescribed area controlled by the government and camped on Aboriginal freehold land out of the control of the intervention.

"On July 14 2009 we, Elders from the Ampilatwatja community, walked out of our houses and set up camp in the bush. We are fed up with the federal government's Northern Territory Intervention, controls and measures, visions and goals forced onto us from outside. We felt we were outcasts and isolated from all decision making - there has been no meaningful consultation... We therefore have no intention of going back there. We intend to stay here until our demands are met.” Richard Downs, Alyawarr community spokesperson, October 2009.

In Alyawarre Resistance: Back to Country (2009-10) Dheerasekara captured the Alyawarre walk-off and much more …

“My main purpose of being there was to capture the Walk-off. Meanwhile, during my many walks around the community I noticed that almost all Aboriginal families in the community had a makeshift bed in the open air. ” Jagath Dheerasekara.

At The Vanishing Point - Contemporary Art Inc.
565 King Street Newtown NSW 2042
(02) 9519 2340
0430 083 364
www.atthevanishingpoint.com.au
info@atthevanishingpoint.com.au

Gallery Hours: Thursday - Sunday, 10am-6pm

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