One bribery scandal involving a foreign pharmaceutical company here in China, French drugmaker, Sanofi SA, says it's taking "very seriously" bribery allegations recently published in a Chinese newspaper.
The article alleged the company made illegal payments in 2007, in order to boost sales. In a statement, Sanofi said it’s aware of the report and has zero tolerance for unethical practices but the company stopped short of commenting on the specific allegations.
On Thursday, an anonymous whistleblower from the company told the 21st Century Business Herald newspaper that Sanofi staff paid bribes totaling more than 275 thousand US dollars to hundreds of doctors at hospitals in Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou. Sanofi SA currently employs around 6,500 people in China.