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PARIS, Oct 7 (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said it had informed U.S. authorities of allegations of improperpayments by its employees to healthcare professionals in EastAfrica and the Middle East, in the latest of a string of briberyclaims embarrassing the pharmaceutical industry.
Sanofi hired a law firm to investigate the claims after itreceived anonymous allegations that wrongdoing occurred between2007 and 2012, the Paris-listed company said in a statement lateon Monday in reaction to a Wall Street Journal report.
"The investigation is still ongoing and is expected to takesome time given that the allegations date back seven years. Atthis stage, it is too early to draw conclusions," Sanofi said,adding it was committed to maintaining the highest ethicalstandards wherever it does business.
Among the allegations are that Sanofi employees madeimproper payments to doctors in Kenya and other East Africancountries by handing out perks encouraging doctors to prescribeSanofi drugs, the WSJ reported on its website, citing e-mailsfrom a whistleblower.
Sanofi said it had notified the U.S. Department of Justiceand the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of the claims,that it took these seriously and that it would cooperate withany potential review.
The allegations follow a string of bribery claims over thepast year in the industry that have mainly centred on Britain'sGlaxoSmithKline and its sales practices in China.
GSK was fined $489 million by Chinese authorities forbribery last month and is still under investigation by U.S. andBritish watchdogs. In addition to the high-profile Chinese case,GSK has been accused of corrupt practices in Poland, Syria,Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon.
U.S. authorities offer cash incentives for whistleblowers toreport corporate malpractice by awarding them up to 30 percentof any sum collected if new information provided leads to therecovery of investor money over $1 million. (Reporting by Natalie Huet; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
