Fraud investigation underway in Italy

Published: 31-Jan-2006

According to Reuters, magistrates in Bari, Italy, are investigating the Italian businesses of AstraZeneca, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Recordati and are planning to ask for the suspension of activities of the Italian units of eight pharmaceutical firms (the other four being GlaxoSmithKline, Biofutura, Bracco and Lusofarmaco) following allegations of the bribing of doctors to prescribe their drugs.


According to Reuters, magistrates in Bari, Italy, are investigating the Italian businesses of AstraZeneca, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Recordati and are planning to ask for the suspension of activities of the Italian units of eight pharmaceutical firms (the other four being GlaxoSmithKline, Biofutura, Bracco and Lusofarmaco) following allegations of the bribing of doctors to prescribe their drugs.

The fraud is thought to have involved individual employees rather than entire businesses, and Pfizer has reportedly escaped investigation by dismissing the individuals accused of the fraud.

126 people have been involved in the investigation, which has seen 104 arrests from 2003 to 2005 following accusations of criminal association and public health fraud.

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