The Washington Post reports that a panel of Nigerian medical experts has found that Pfizer conducted illegal clinical trials on Nigerian children in 1996, a "clear case of the exploitation of the ignorant," the panel said. Pfizer's practices were brought to light and called into question in a 2000 investigative report in the Post. The newspaper's article is presumed to have inspired the book and movie "The Constant Gardener" (the subject of my Therapeutic Dose column last October). Now, 10 years after the fact, the panel has recommended that Pfizer be "sanctioned appropriately" and issue "an unreserved apology to the government and people of Nigeria." Pfizer has not responded publicly as of yet. It did, however, release information today on its efforts to improve diagnostic testing for HIV around the globe. More news as it unfolds. -- PWT