China has accused British-based big pharm GlaxoSmithKline of offering bribes and kickbacks in order to boost sales across the country.
The Ministry of Public Security said specifically that those who work for the company had bribed medical professionals and then funneled payoff money through travel agencies and other groups, The New York Times reported.
Chinese authorities did not name names, but they said their investigation spanned “huge amounts of money,” The New York Times reported. And the public accusation came a week after police conducted a raid at three different GlaxoSmithKline facilities, including the plant in Shanghai, the newspaper said.
The company put out a statement last week saying a whistleblower previously had brought the allegations to corporate attention and that an internal investigation already had been launched. On Thursday, a GlaxoSmithKline spokesman said the company would cooperate with Chinese investigators, The New York Times reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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