China Pledges Drug Sector Crackdown Amid Glaxo Bribes Probe
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China’s food and drugs regulator pledged to crack down on illegal activities in the nation’s pharmaceutical industry after a GlaxoSmithKline Plc executive described on national television how he used bribes to boost the company’s sales.
The Food and Drug Administration is conducting a six-month probe targeting fake drugs, unauthorized medicine sales and forged receipts, Yan Jiangying, a spokeswoman for the agency, told reporters in Beijing today. Regulators will also target bribery, she said, without specifically commenting on Glaxo, which Chinese police have accused of funneling payments to government officials and doctors to boost its drug sales.