Sanofi accused of bribing 500 doctors
Authorities investigate whistle-blower claims that more than 500 doctors are involved
Authorities are investigating French drugmaker Sanofi for allegedly bribing more than 500 mainland doctors with about 1.7 million yuan (HK$2.1 million) of payments to raise sales, Xinhua reports.
Sanofi said last week that it took "very seriously" allegations published in a mainland newspaper on Thursday that its staff bribed more than 500 doctors in 2007 to raise sales.
An anonymous whistle- blower told the newspaper that Sanofi staff paid bribes totalling about 1.7 million yuan to 503 doctors at 79 hospitals in Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou in late 2007.
Sanofi said in a statement it was aware of the report, but said it was premature to comment on events that may have occurred in 2007.
It said it had zero tolerance for any unethical practices.
Beijing's investigations into bribery and overpricing have centred on British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, but the latest developments suggest they could have a wider impact across the pharmaceuticals industry.
Other companies including Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Belgium's UCB have all reported visits from authorities to their mainland offices.
Analysts have said the investigation into drugmakers was likely to be followed by a push for stricter price controls.
