Here's the latest news on the Department of Justice (DoJ) probe into Big Pharma companies possible corruption in world markets. The investigation is looking into behaviors like improper payments for hospitality, consultants, physician recruitment, licensing agreements and charitable donations (i.e. inducements or bribes). There is a particular emphasis on payments that may have influenced the reliability or integrity of data in foreign clinical trials.
http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2010/08/ftcom-us-probes-corruption-in-big.html.
GSK, Pfizer, BMS, Lilly, AZ, Merck and SciClone have acknowledged contact from both the DoJ and SEC in respect to this investigation.
Under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a US anti-bribery law, companies may not offer items of value to foreign government officials for profit. Medical personnel associated with state-run medical institutions in foreign countries are considered "government officials" under the law.
Posted by Bruce Lehr August 13th 2010.
More on UK companies involved in the probe from PharmaGossip
http://pharmagossip.blogspot.com/2010/08/uk-drug-firms-put-under-microscope-over.html
Posted by: bigredbruce | 08/15/2010 at 08:50 PM