The drugmaker is being sued by Nigeria for more than $9 billion over allegations its Trovan antibiotic clinical trials a decade ago were improperly conducted, and killed or seriously harmed more than 100 children. Criminal charges are also being pursued.

To counteract a torrent of bad publicity, Pfizer this week trumpeted the opening of Pfizer Oncology in the East, Central and Anglo-Lusophone West Africa, to coordinate its cancer programs in the region, according to The Daily Sun. The drugmaker sponsored a scientific symposium where oncologists praised the drugmaker for its new business unit and two cancer meds launched in the country.

“We need to have a better working relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and the medical team. Such collaboration, of course, has to be ethical and well organized. Having the major companies selling the drugs for cancer in the country increases your confidence in the product you tell your patients to buy,” Clement Adebamowo, a professor of surgery at the University College Hospital in Ibadan, told the gathering. “It is often difficult to monitor cancer patients. You may not know when they are not doing well so, when major players on oncology are on ground they will have interest in promoting the practice and the quality of practice will improve.”

Coincidentally, Adebamowo (pictured) is a prominent member of the Association for Good Clinical Practice in Nigeria, and three of its 17 board members are Pfizer employees in South Africa. The drugmaker also co-sponsors AGCPN conferences.

At the same time, he directs the Univerity of Ibadan’s BioEthics program and sits on the National Health Research Ethics Committee of Nigeria. Adebamowo also contributed to a recent World Health Organization report on designing studies and providing informed consent in poor countries.

With such credentials, Pfizer certainly knew who to trot out for the occasion.

Also speaking was S.N.C. Anyanwu, a Professor of Surgery at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, who commended Pfizer. “I’m happy to hear that Pfizer is starting a regional oncology programme. This is good for us in Africa. I recall the company once sponsored me to the World Cancer Conference in Washington,” he said. “This is good for the practice in Nigeria.”

Pfizer’s Managing Director Nigeria/Regional Director East, Central and Anglo-Lusophone, West Africa (ECAWA) region, Ngozi Edozien, reiterated the company’s commitment to Nigeria ’s economy, healthcare delivery system, research and management of cancer and creating awareness about the disease.

“Most people do not know Pfizer as an oncology company but it has been part of our very wide and diverse portfolio of products and takes about 22% of the total research and development budget of Pfizer,” she said. “We want to be the company that contributes to individual treatment in this area.”

She assured the oncologists that Pfizer would give them the needed support to strengthen their relationship with their patients and their ability to provide care.

What a difference a decade can make.