Leadership (Abuja)

Abuja — Following the decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which ordered the transfer of the Pfizer suit to the Kano State High Court in a suit filed by Mustapha Maisikeli and others against the company,Pfizer Inc. New York, has declared its support for the decision.

Although, the Federal High Court in Abuja had kept in place the interim injunction on DNA testing and analysis without ruling on its merits, the company, through a press release signed by Chris Loder, said, "This legal action does not have merit. It is just a mere attempt to obstruct the settlement between Kano State and Pfizer.

"The company looks forward to presenting its defences before the Kano court. The action by the court keeps in place the interim injunction on DNA testing and analysis, but it does not constitute a ruling on its merits," Loder said.

The company, however, lamented that "it has been well established that while there were no more than 200 participants in the 1996 Trovan clinical trail, the board had received more than double that number of claims.

"The collection and testing of the DNA was done in good faith which also included the settlement agreement reached by Pfizer and Kano State government to ensure that the funds reach only those for whom they are intended."

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