Supreme Court rejects appeal by Pfizer in Alien Tort Statute case

Back in January 2009 I reported that the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit revived a claim filed under the Alien Torts Statute by Nigerian citizens against Pfizer claiming the company subjected their children to medical experimentation without their consent during a 1996 meningitis outbreak. The opinion is available here. Then in November 2009 I noted that case was appealed to the the US Supreme Court and that the Court asked the Justice Department’s Office of the Solicitor General to file a brief in the case. Today, Pharmalot is reporting that the Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Pfizer after the US Solicitor General filed a brief arguing the Supreme Court should not bother to hear the case. Go here for the full story.