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Beijing teams investigate Sanofi for alleged bribery
BEIJING city corruption and health officials have launched an investigation into allegations that staff at French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi paid bribes totaling some US$280,000 to 500 Chinese doctors.
The joint investigation will probe claims reported in China’s 21st Century Business Herald newspaper that company staff paid 503 doctors in 79 hospitals bribes totaling 1.69 million yuan in a bid to increase sales.
The paper, citing documents provided by an anonymous whistleblower, said Thursday that in 2007 Sanofi paid doctors 80 yuan every time a patient bought its products, with the largest payment being 11,200 yuan.
The products named in the report are two drugs for high blood pressure.
Most payments were made to medical staff in hospitals in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong Province, and Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang Province, said the newspaper
The report claimed these were listed as “research expenses.”
The Beijing municipal health bureau will coordinate with the disciplinary authorities to investigate, a spokesman told Xinhua News Agency yesterday.
Define the boundary
How to define the boundary between a “research expense” and bribery is key to the case, industry insiders said.
Investigators will seek to find out whether clinical research programs had lists of patient names and medical reports, said a Beijing health bureau official.
On Friday, Guangdong Province health bureau summoned the heads of 16 hospitals named in the report, vowing to carry out a thorough investigation.
Sanofi said that it took the allegations “very seriously” and has begun relevant procedures to investigate the allegations.
“We have zero tolerance to any unethical practice,” it said.
Sanofi added that it has “processes for reviewing and addressing such issues in a manner that is consistent with our legal and ethical obligations.”
The allegations come after four executives from British drug firm GlaxoSmithKline were arrested last month for alleged bribery and other offences.
China’s top economic planner is investigating 60 foreign and domestic pharmaceutical companies over their prices.
dacare This entry was posted on August 12th, 2013 at 01:33:51 pm by dacare and is filed under News of China, Pharma, Biotech & Healthcare.