Big Pharma, accusations of corruption
"pay bribes in Italy"
Investigation of the Department of Justice. "From the pharmaceutical industry bribes to politicians, officials and doctors around the world"
NEW YORK - They paid leaders, doctors, business agents. Paid and perhaps continue to pay to see each other again authorize a drug able to approve a medicine, forcing you to choose a product instead of another. The practices of poor health care, you know, are not confined within the narrow confines of Italy. But in Italy may have found fertile ground definitely the boss of Big Pharma that now the U.S. administration is finally beginning to present the bill.
from Merck (Merck & Co U.S., Merck Sharp & Dohme in Europe) to Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline all'AstraZeneca from the big names in the pharmaceutical industry for once we are all in the investigation of the Department of Justice and the SEC, Consob American. Objective: To find out if and how the Four Sisters of drugs anointed governments across the world to flood the market with their products.
The survey is truly global. Among countries under consideration there would be Brazil, China, Germany, Poland, Russia and even Saudi Arabia. And Italy, of course. The contents of the blitz revealed by the Wall Street Journal "and are not known at the time is not yet clear at what level in the various countries has pushed the corruption. But the survey identifies at least four types of possible violations. Dependent on government kickbacks to doctors to encourage them to buy drugs. Payment to the business agents of "commissions" to be passed to medical staff from governments. Bribes to clinics and hospitals to encourage the purchase of particular drugs. Bribes to politicians and health committees to approve the use of drugs.
The investigation so far has no criminal aspect but investigators not exclude to open new files. The government moved on the basis of a 1977 law that prohibits publicly traded companies in the U.S. (which is then the combined intervention of the SEC) to pay officials in other countries for doing business: it is called the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act But investigation may therefore be opened also in the countries involved in this lease, and then also in Italy.
companies accused received a letter asking the Justice Department to justify the money movements. The men of Big Pharma in response that are already working together. But there is no doubt that the move is part of the battle with the government in Barack Obama, already hated by the large companies for health care reform that erases decades of privilege and waste, has promised to clean up certain practices. Some time ago, a survey has revealed similar methods of bribery in the sale of medical devices across the world. And in an effort to moralization U.S. officials are threatening to go to the same complaint manager instead of the only companies.
The pharmaceutical industry is particularly exposed to international wing temptation of bribes, say experts, because unlike in the U.S. abroad - as in Italy - the governments have much more say in the regulation of medicines. The turnover of corruption, however, has not yet been quantified. But enough consider that the Big Pharma business abroad is one third of its value: more than 103 billion dollars.
(06 October 2010)
repubblica.it Angela Aquaro
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