Nigerian court adjourns Pfizer drug trial to January

By Camillus Eboh

ABUJA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - A Nigerian court has delayed until January a criminal case brought by the federal government against drug company Pfizer (PFE.N) so the prosecution can serve papers on U.S.-based defendants.

The criminal charges include over 20 counts covering alleged breaches of import, supply and registration regulations for the drug and laws relating to the clinical trial.

The federal government and the northern state of Kano have also taken a civil case against Pfizer claiming $8.5 billion in damages over the 1996 trial of the antibiotic Trovan in Kano during a meningitis epidemic that killed 12,000 children. Nigeria says Trovan caused the death of 11 children and left dozens with disabilities. It also says Pfizer did not obtain proper regulatory approval for the trial and misled parents.

The New York-based drugmaker denies all charges and argues that meningitis, not Trovan, killed the children or damaged their health. It says Trovan saved lives and was as effective as a more established drug used for comparison in the study.

Pfizer said last week it hoped to secure an out-of-court settlement to the civil and criminal cases.

"The (criminal) case has been adjourned to January 20 to allow you time to effect service on the defendants," Judge Anwuri Chikere said in Abuja on Monday.

Chikere said the court would on Nov. 10 begin hearing a separate case brought by Pfizer seeking to overturn the government report that indicted the company over the drug trial.

The judge gave lawyers for both parties a week to file and exchange papers and preliminary objections to enable that hearing to start next Monday. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: africa.reuters.com/) (Writing by Tume Ahemba; Editing by Nick Tattersall/Will Waterman)