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ROME - Liza Minelli had successful surgery Wednesday
for a kneecap she fractured after a fall in an Italian hotel,
and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has won the right to medicate
the star during recuperation and afterwards.
"We're thrilled to have the Minelli account," Pfizer
spokesperson Wendy Knoller said. "We anticipate a lengthy
recovery and we are happy to provide all the necessary pain
medication and refill orders until she is feeling better."
The 57-year-old performer tripped Sunday in the hotel where
she was staying while preparing for a benefit concert with
Luciano Pavarotti in nearby Modena. According to hospital
doctors, the injury is minor and should only require two weeks
of bedrest and nonprescription pain relievers like aspirin
or Tylenol.
Pfizer, makers of Zantac and several other popular name brand
medications, who paid a reported $1 million for the Minelli
medication rights, clearly disagrees.
"Miss Minelli is in a tremendous amount of pain and
will need to continue taking psychotronic medications for
several months or possibly longer," Knoller said. "As
long as she has consulted a physician — which we have
provided free of cost —then there's no problem and everyone
has acted responsibly and in accordance with the law.
Pfizer beat out several drug companies for access to Minelli
and her injuries, including GlaxoSmithKline PLC, German rival
Bayer AG, and Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche.
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