건강과 대안 » 어린이 사망

[기업감시] 화이자, 15년 만에 나이지리아 생체실험 보상금 지급

건강과대안 — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:01:05 +0000

다국적 거대 제약회사인 화이자(Pfizer)가 1996년 나이지리아의 카노(Kano) 주민들을 대상으로
한 생체실험 (뇌수막염 치료제인 트로반(Trovan)의 인체 투여 실험) 결과 어린이 11명이 목숨을
잃었으며, 수십명의 어린이들에서 장애가 발생한 바 있습니다.

인권을 침해한 약물실험으로 국제적인 비난에 직면한 화이자는 지난 2009년에야 뒤늦게
나이지리아 카노 주 정부와 7500만 달러를 보상해주기로 합의했습니다.(out-of-court settlement)

그리고 최근에야 어린이 희생자 4명의 가족에게 각각 $175,000 (£108,000, 달러 환율 1050원
적용시 1억8900만원)을 지급될 예정이라고 합니다.

1996년 당시 나이지리에서는 수막염이 유행하여 1만2천명이 사망했는데, 화이자는 나이지리아
의 카노지역에서 자신들이 개발한 신약에 대해 생체실험을 실시했습니다.

카노지역에서 수막염에 걸린 어린이 200명을 대상으로 100명에게는 이미 수막염 치료제로
효과가 검증된 세프트리악손을 투여했으며, 나머지 100명에게는 자신들이 개발한 수막염
치료제 신약인 트로반을 투여했습니다.

이러한 생체실험 결과 카노지역에서 11명의 어린이가 사망하였으며, 수십명의 어린이가
시력을 잃거나 뇌, 폐 등의 장기에 손상을 입는 장애가 발생했습니다. 화이자의 이러한 실험은
명백하게 의료윤리를 위배한 행위였음에도 불구하고, 그들은 트로반을 처방받은 나이지리아
어린이의 94%가 생존으며, 트로반 실험 그 자체가 인도주의적 조치였다고 항변했습니다.

또한 실험대상자에게 동의를 받지 않았다는 비판에 대해서도 그들의 부모에게 구두로 동의를
받는 등의 적법한 절차를 거쳤다고 주장한 바 있습니다.

그러나 화이자는 전 세계 의료운동가, 인권운동가, 기업감시 활동가들로부터 비도덕적
생체실험에 대한 비판에 직면했고, 뒤늦게 자신들의 책임을 인정하고 금전적 보상을 실시
하게 된 것입니다.

현재 DNA 검사를 통해 희생자 중 4가족만 보상을 받은 상황이며, 화이자는 카노의
건강프로젝트( health projects)를 후원하기 위한 기금 3500만달러( $35m)에서
보상비가 지불되는 것으로 합의했다고 합니다.

Pfizer: Nigeria drug trial victims get compensation

출처 : BBC 11 August 2011 Last updated at 17:01 GMT
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14493277

US-based pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has made the first compensation payment to Nigerian families affected by a controversial drug trial 15 years ago.

It paid $175,000 (£108,000) each to four families in the first of a series of payments it is expected to make.

The payouts are part of an out-of-court settlement reached in 2009.

In 1996, 11 children died and dozens were left disabled after Pfizer gave them the experimental anti-meningitis drug, Trovan.

The payouts were made to the parents of four of the children who died.

Their parents told the BBC they welcomed the payment, but it would not replace the loss of their loved ones.

The children were part of a group of 200 given the drug during a meningitis epidemic in the northern city of Kano as part of a medical trial comparing Trovan’s effectiveness with the established treatment.

For years Pfizer maintained that meningitis – not the drug – caused the deaths and disabilities.

But after a lengthy and expensive litigation process, it reached a settlement with the Kano government in northern Nigeria.
DNA tests

The trials were carried out in Kano and the state government fought Pfizer on behalf of victims and their families.

Hajara, photographed in 2007, survived the trials but became deaf afterwards and is unable to speak

It has taken two years and DNA tests to establish who is entitled to payments, the BBC’s Jonah Fisher in Lagos says.

It could take another year for payments to be concluded, he says.

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

Pfizer said it was pleased the four had been compensated.

“This is the first step in a multi-phase review process by which the independent board of trustees that manages the fund will deliver payment to all other qualified claimants,” the company said in a statement.

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

More on This Story

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Anger at deadly Nigerian drug trials 20 JUNE 2007, AFRICA

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Pfizer eyes $772m for drug claims 13 MAY 2011, BUSINESS

From other news sites

Telegraph Pfizer starts paying out over deadly Nigerian drug trial 1 hr ago

NEWS.com.au Pfizer pays Nigeria drug-test victims 6 hrs ago

UPI Pfizer begins payments in drug trial case 11 hrs ago

Guardian.co.uk Pfizer pays out to Nigerian families of meningitis drug trial victims 12 hrs ago

Yahoo! UK and Ireland Pfizer begins long-delayed payouts over Nigerian drug trial 14 hrs ago

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Pfizer begins long-delayed payouts over Nigerian drug trial

출처 : AFP
http://news.yahoo.com/pfizer-begins-long-delayed-payouts-over-nigerian-drug-160337642.html

US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer on Thursday began long-awaited compensation payments to families over a 1996 drug trial blamed for the deaths of 11 children and disabilities in dozens of others.

But even as the compensation process began, the company faced further criticism since only four families were paid in the initial disbursements, while some 200 children participated in the trial of meningitis drug Trovan.

Parents of four of the children who died received cheques of $175,000 each at a ceremony in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, where the trial took place.

A dispute over whether DNA testing should be used to verify the identification of victims had held up compensation payments.

Thursday’s payments followed the release of eight results of DNA tests of 546 saliva swabs of claimants, said Abubakar Bashir Wali, who heads the claims verification committee.

“Out of these eight results, four died as a result of their participation in the clinical trial and each is entitled to … $175,000 as full and final settlement of compensation,” Wali said at the ceremony.

The other four claimants suffered deformities and would be paid compensation commensurate with their disabilities, Wali said.

“We are pleased that these four individuals, the first group of qualified claimants…have received compensation,” Pfizer said in a statement it issued from New York.

The statement described the initial payments as a “milestone in the implementation of the settlement agreement reached by Kano state government and Pfizer”.

“The compensation cannot replace my loss, but will only cushion the hardship the drug trial caused me and my family,” Hauwa Umar, who lost a child, said between sobs.

Outside the ceremony, a group of claimants accused the compensation committee of unnecessary delay in the verification and payment of claims.

“It is frustrating that 10 months after taking over 500 swabs for DNA tests only eight results have been released despite assurance that the results would be out within six weeks,” Surajo Hassan said.

Hassan said his nephew suffered deafness from the trial.

“The procedures contained in the settlement agreement are quite cumbersome, and we appeal to all stakeholders to be patient…,” Wali said at the ceremony.

The payments were part of a $75 million out-of-court-settlement reached between Pfizer and Kano state government in July 2009 over the drug trial.

The trial occurred during a meningitis epidemic that, according to Pfizer, killed nearly 12,000 people.

Pfizer says it was given approval from government authorities and about 200 children were involved in the trial, half of whom were treated with Trovan. It has argued that Trovan helped save lives.

But France-based medical charity Doctors Without Borders, which was at the time urgently trying to treat meningitis victims in Nigeria, has harshly criticised Pfizer over the trial.

[돼지독감] 美 신종플루 어린이사망 급증…114명

건강과대안 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:55:43 +0000

美 신종플루 어린이사망 급증

지난주 주간 최대..19명
CDC, 어린이용 비축약 방출

출처 : 연합뉴스 2009/10/31 07:05 송고

(워싱턴=연합뉴스) 김재홍 특파원 = 미국에서 신종플루(HINI) 감염에 따른 어린이 사망이 최근 급증 추세를 보이고 있다.

30일 미국 질병통제센터(CDC)에 따르면 4월 이후 지난 24일 현재까지 신종플루로 인한 어린이 사망자는 114명으로 집계됐다.

특히 지난주(10월18-24일) 발생한 어린이 사망자 수는 19명으로 한 주만에 직전 사망통계인 95명보다 20%나 크게 늘어난 것으로 나타났다.

이에 따라 CDC는 23만4천명 분의 어린이용 시럽 타밀플루 비축분을 긴급 방출하기로 결정했다.

토머스 프리든 CDC 소장은 이날 기자회견에서 “어린이 감염이 이렇게 많은 상황에서 비축분을 계속 보관할 이유가 없다고 판단했다”고 밝혔다.

프리든 소장은 또 미국 정부가 올해 봄과 이달초 각 주에 비축분을 전달했고 추가로 공급물량을 확충하기 위해 타밀플루 제약사에 더 주문을 해 놓은 상태지만 추가로 주문된 물량은 내년초에나 인도될 전망이라고 말했다.

하지만, 시럽형태의 어린이용이 아닌 캡슐이나 알약 형태의 성인용 타밀플루는 현재 공급이 충분한 상태라고 그는 설명했다.

이와 함께 프리든 소장은 신종플루에 대한 우려가 커지면서 병원을 찾는 사람들이 늘고 있지만 정작 예방치료가 꼭 필요한 천식이나 심장병, 폐질환 등 만성질환자가 아닌 사람들인 경우가 많다고 지적했다.

그는 “놀라운 것은 천식이나 심장병, 폐질환 등을 앓고 있는 사람들이 예방치료를 받는 경우는 절반 수준밖에 안 된다는 것”이라면서 이들 고위험군 질환자는 반드시 예방치료를 받아야 한다고 강조했다.

신종플루는 일반인의 경우 대개 증상이 대수롭지 않지만 만성질환을 앓고 있는 고위험군에게서는 급작스럽게 증세가 악화돼 치명적인 상태로 발전하는 경우가 많기 때문이다.

신종플루는 또 고령자들에게 위험한 계절성 감기와는 달리 청장년이나 어린이들에게서 심각한 증상을 보이는 것으로 알려지고 있다.

CDC는 이번 주까지 미국에서 최대 570만명이 신종플루에 감염됐고 최소 1천300명이 사망한 것으로 추산하고 있다.

프리든 소장은 신종플루 백신 보유량은 현재 2천660만명분으로 예상확보 물량인 4천만명분에는 크게 못 미치는 상태라고 말했다.

jaehong@yna.co.kr

[돼지독감] 현재까지 미국 어린이 76명 신종플루로 사망

건강과대안 — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:42:55 +0000

미국 질병관리본부(CDC)는 현재까지 신종플루(돼지독감 바이러스)에 감염되어 사망한 어린이가 모두 76명에 이른다고 밝혔습니다.

해마다 미국에서 계절성 독감으로 사망하는 어린이는 46명~88명입니다. 따라서 신종플루(돼지독감 바이러스에 감염되어 사망한 어린이의 숫자가 계절성 독감보다 헐씬 높다고 볼 수 있습니다.

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CDC: 76 children dead of swine flu as cases rise

By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer Mike Stobbe, Ap Medical Writer – Sat Oct 10, 6:41 am ET

ATLANTA – Health officials said Friday that 76 U.S. children have died of swine flu, including 19 new reports in the past week — more evidence the new virus is unusually dangerous for the young.

The regular flu kills between 46 and 88 children a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That suggests deaths from the new H1N1 virus could dramatically outpace children’s deaths from seasonal flu, if swine flu continues to spread as it has.

CDC officials say 10 more states, a total of 37, now have widespread swine flu. A week ago, reports suggested that cases might be leveling off and even falling in some areas of the country, but that did not turn out to be an enduring national trend.

“We are seeing more illness, more hospitalizations, and more deaths,” the CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat said at a press conference Friday.

The new virus, first identified in April, is a global epidemic. The CDC doesn’t have an exact count of all swine flu deaths and hospitalizations, but existing reports suggest more than 600 have died and more than 9,000 have been hospitalized. Health officials believe millions of Americans have caught the virus.

The virus is hitting young people harder. Experts believe older people are suffering from it less, perhaps because they have a bit of immunity from exposure over the years to somewhat similar viruses.

Most healthy children recover and often suffer only mild symptoms. But some have died from it, often from a second infection that moves in while the body is weakened from the flu.

Kids with asthma or chronic heart or respiratory conditions also are at greater risk for serious complications.

Experts say it’s important for parents to watch their children’s symptoms carefully. If a child appears to get better, but fever and a cough return, there may be a second infection. Other trouble signs are rapid or difficult breathing or bluish skin color.

Vaccinations against swine flu began this week and so far, states have ordered 3.7 million doses. Demand is exceeding supply, and people seeking the vaccination should ask their state or local health department where to go, said Schuchat, who heads the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Health officials also said more data is trickling in from several clinical trials of the new vaccine, and so far no serious side effects have been reported.

Preliminary results from one study indicate that both a seasonal flu shot and a swine flu shot are effective when given during the same doctor’s office visit. However, the government is not recommending that people get the nasal spray versions of the seasonal and swine flu vaccines at the same time.

The nasal sprays contain weakened, live virus, and the government doesn’t have data on how a person’s immune system would react to exposure to both at once, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.