Gsk, gsk, gsk: tsk, tsk, tsk!

Revelations about the China bribery scandal involving GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) continue to emerge in the media and each day brings new shockers. A story in today's Wall Street Journal, for example, suggested that a top GSK compliance officer engaged in stalling tactics when confronted with whistle blower allegations of wrong doing in China. According to the WSJ article (here):In June, Glaxo told the Journal that for four months it "used significant resources to thoroughly investigate each and every claim from this single anonymous source" and found "no evidence of corruption or bribery in our China business." This week, Glaxo added that its probe included "external lawyers."Communications between the tipster and Glaxo suggest the company probe may have been much shorter.Sabina Sudan, vice president and compliance officer for Glaxo's emerging markets and Asian-Pacific region, replied to the tipster in a Jan. 22 email, saying the company would be investigating the issues. In a May 13 email to the tipster, however, Ms. Sudan said Glaxo had not yet hired an external lawyer to conduct an investigation. She asked the tipster to share all information and materials supporting the allegations so outside counsel could be properly instructed.Ms. Sudan also wrote in the email that "comprehensive preparation for the investigation is vital before anyone in GSK China or the relevant business unit is interviewed."That my friends is what I call "stalling," which I suspect is a tactic often ...
Source: Pharma Marketing Blog - Category: Pharma Commentators Tags: Drug Safety GSK compliance Avandia Legal/Regulatory DOJ Source Type: blogs