Sanofi Whistle-Blower Claims Drugmaker Paid Kickbacks
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A former Sanofi paralegal claimed in a lawsuit that she was fired after complaining the drugmaker illegally paid $34 million in kickbacks to induce physicians, hospitals and pharmacies to switch to its diabetes drugs.
In a whistle-blower suit filed in state court in Newark, New Jersey, Diane Ponte said former Chief Executive Officer Chris Viehbacher was among those at the company who engaged in the scheme. Paris-based Sanofi fired Viehbacher on Oct. 29, ending a six-year tenure marked by tension with board members and French politicians.