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Trovan families withdraw claims on concerns over DNA ID

12-May-2010

Related topics: Regulatory & Safety

Nigerian families call for halt on Trovan compensation payout until board overseeing claims gives more details of DNA identification process.

According to an AFP report, Streamsowers & Kohn, the law firm representing families of children killed or injured in the 1996 trial of Pfizer’s candidate meningitis vaccine, withdrew compensation claims in a letter sent yesterday.

The chief criticism is that the board, set up by the Kano State government, has not explained “how it intends to confirm that any DNA samples Pfizer may send are not those of children from other parts of Nigeria or indeed Africa."

For Pfizer, which agreed to pay $35m in compensation last year , the news is a real blow since the use of DNA testing to identify claimants was one of the key parts of the settlement.

The US drug major has not yet issued a response.

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