<p>The British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline said on Monday that the authorities here were investigating whether senior managers working for the company in China were involved in “economic crimes.”<br /><br /></p>.<p>A spokesman in London said that GlaxoSmithKline was unaware of the nature of the investigation but that the company’s executives were cooperating. Two weeks ago, the company fired the head of its research and development staff in Shanghai for misrepresenting data in a scientific paper he helped to write.<br /><br />Also two weeks ago, The Wall Street Journal reported that a whistle-blower had sent information to GlaxoSmithKline’s board claiming that for years the sales staff in China had engaged in the “widespread bribery of doctors to prescribe drugs.”<br /><br />The company said on Monday that it had thoroughly investigated the accusations made by the whistle-blower and concluded this year that there was no evidence of bribery or corruption.<br /><br />Glaxo has said in regulatory filings that the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission contacted it as early as 2010 about possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in its overseas operations, including China. The company referred to the contacts as “discussions,” rather than an investigation.</p>
<p>The British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline said on Monday that the authorities here were investigating whether senior managers working for the company in China were involved in “economic crimes.”<br /><br /></p>.<p>A spokesman in London said that GlaxoSmithKline was unaware of the nature of the investigation but that the company’s executives were cooperating. Two weeks ago, the company fired the head of its research and development staff in Shanghai for misrepresenting data in a scientific paper he helped to write.<br /><br />Also two weeks ago, The Wall Street Journal reported that a whistle-blower had sent information to GlaxoSmithKline’s board claiming that for years the sales staff in China had engaged in the “widespread bribery of doctors to prescribe drugs.”<br /><br />The company said on Monday that it had thoroughly investigated the accusations made by the whistle-blower and concluded this year that there was no evidence of bribery or corruption.<br /><br />Glaxo has said in regulatory filings that the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission contacted it as early as 2010 about possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in its overseas operations, including China. The company referred to the contacts as “discussions,” rather than an investigation.</p>