Thursday, May 31, 2007

Pfizer faces criminal charges and $2 billion fine . . . and what do you think happened to the whistleblower?

Nigeria has brought criminal charges against Pfizer for the company's alleged role in the deaths of children who received an unapproved drug called Trovan during a meningitis epidemic. Authorities filed eight charges, including "criminal conspiracy" and "voluntarily causing grievous harm."

They also filed a civil lawsuit seeking more than $2 billion in damages and restitution from Pfizer. More in Washington Post.

And what do you think happened to the internal Pfizer whistleblower who tried to stop the whole thing?

You got that one right: Pfizer fired his ass.

Read the original story from year 2000 in this article in the Washington Post:

"One Pfizer child disease specialist, Juan Walterspiel, complained that the experiment was too risky – oral Trovan had never been tested on a child, he later alleged in a lawsuit. The suit ultimately was dismissed at the request of the physician and Pfizer; neither side would comment on the litigation for this article."

So, Pfizer settled with Walterspiel.

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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The companies cited on this blog- Pfizer and AstraZenca fire whistleblowers who file anonymous complaints. How about sending an e-mail straight up line management and then also through chief legal counsel( of course, the individual who signed the corporate integrity agreement) and another litigation attorney at the company and then boldly signing the document. Such a document lives forever for an OIG subpoena and puts the company at a disadvantage to fire the employee. The employee WILL BE canned anyway.... why not go out with a bang?