NIGERIA-US-TRIAL-PFIZER

Deaf and dumb Nafisat Yusuf, 15, sits 29 January 2008 in a corridor of the Kano High Court, waiting for government lawyers to start criminal proceedings against US pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer. The US giant is charged with carrying out an illegal drugs trial in 1996 on 200 children in Kano. Kano state filed civil and criminal suits demanding 2.75 billion US dollars (two billion euros) in compensation from Pfizer and prosecution of its staff involved in testing the meningitis drug Trovan during a triple epidemic of measles, cholera and meningitis in which over 12,000 people died. The drug test allegedly led to 11 deaths and deformities in 189 other cases such as blindness, deafness, brain damage and paralysis. The hearing has been adjurned to 04 February 2008. AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (Photo by Pius Utomi EKPEI / AFP) (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images)