Corporate Environmental Responsibility: A Case on ITC Limited

Case Title:

Pfizer's 'Trovan' Experiment in Nigeria: CSR under Trial?

Abstract:
World renowned pharmaceutical company Pfizer saw an opportunity in 1996 to test Trovan - a powerful antibiotic which was a promise against a wide variety of infections. Pfizer administered the drug Trovan in Kano, Nigeria, during the meningitis outbreak in 1996. Following the death of several children during the trials, the Nigerian government initiated action against Pfizer terming the trials as illegal. The case raises several issues regarding the obligation of the pharmaceutical companies and researchers towards the patients and communities after a trial has ended. The case also raises concerns regarding the secretive nature and ethical issues of human experiments performed by pharmaceutical companies in underdeveloped countries. The pedagogical objectives of the case are the corporate ethics and pitfalls involved in hurried drug trials especially in the underdeveloped countries.

Pedagogical Objectives:

Keywords :  Pfizer, Pharmaceutical companies, CSR (corporate social responsibility), Trovan, Nigeria, Meningitis outbreak, Clinical trials, Ethical and legal dilemma, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Food and drug administration (FDA), Rocephin, Unapproved drug, Experiment drug, Controversial drug test