Sanofi accused of bribing 500 doctors

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.

Xinhua quoted a health bureau official as saying the team investigating Sanofi would include disciplinary authorities and the Beijing municipal health bureau and that it would look for clinical research programmes with lists of patient names and medical 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 21st Century Business Herald 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.