Abuja — PFIZER has agreed to pay N26 million to each family of the victims of its Trovan vaccine trials in Kano in 2006, provided there is proof of death or permanent incapacitation.

About 200 people took part in the trials which resulted in the death of some patients and the permanent incapacitation of others.

The Meningitis Trust Fund (MTF), a body set up to pay the compensation on behalf of Pfizer, said it has received over 600 applications from those who claimed they participated in the tests and want to be compensated.

This was disclosed on Monday at the hand over of the report of an out of court settlement, wherein Pfizer noted that it would deal with individuals and not associations in paying compensation.

Pfizer counsel, Anthony Idigbe, said they have the files and documents on medical records and photos which will help determine the gender of each participant in the test.

The company said: "The records will be very helpful. The tests by doctors to determine the real patients will be at no cost to those who have come to make claims. They are free to form an association but we are not dealing with associations but individuals."

A statement issued in Abuja by Pfizer Media Representative, Emeka Ozumba, confirmed the handing over on January 19 of files and documents, including all records of the 200 patients, to MTF Chairman, A. B. Wali.

"The clinical study involved 200 patients with severe cases of cerebral-spinal meningitis (CSM), 100 of who were treated with Ceftriaxone, the gold standard drug in use; while others took the intravenous Trovan," Ozumba added.

"Of these, Ceftriaxone recorded six fatalities while Trovan had five, making it a total of 11 deaths."

He recounted that the state government initiated court cases, both civil and criminal, against the test, and after several years and the intervention of prominent Nigerians, the parties agreed to settle out of court.

"Under the terms of the settlement, Pfizer and Kano State established a Healthcare/Meningitis Fund from which the study participants can receive financial support."

The Fund will also "underwrite several healthcare initiatives chosen by the Kano State Government that benefit the people of Kano State, totaling $30 million over a period of two years; and reimburse Kano State for $10 million in legal costs associated with the litigation.

"There is also the Projects Trust Fund which will handle various health projects to be located in a complex.

"These include diagnostics centre, centre for disease control, curable diseases centre, microbiology laboratory and staff housing.

"Kano State recently provided land for the projects to be handed over to the Trust Fund."