Page 23 - Pharma eZine 140828

Spotlight on: GlaxoSmithKline

Introducion
The government of India recently admited that The company has also opened an internal

the Pentavalent vaccine, manufactured by GSK invesigaion into allegaions that its employees
The RepRisk database has captured a range of and Johnson & Johnson has been linked to the bribed doctors in Jordan and Lebanon in the form

criicism against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) from varied deaths of children, and there were similar reports of lexible travel arrangements and free samples.
sources over the past two years. The company in Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. In Recently, GSK faced similar claims related to its

has allegedly been involved with drug trials that addiion, igures from countries using the vaccine Iraqi operaions, the latest development stemming
resulted in deaths and other adverse efects that reportedly show no actual instances of the vaccine from its internal probe into its pracices in the

were not treated in poor communiies. Several of prevening diseases.
Middle East, including United Arab Emirates, Qatar,
GSK’s products have allegedly also caused deaths Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Syria. Meanwhile,

and serious health problems, and in one case, the Bribery
the US Department of Jusice and Securiies and
company was accused of atemping to cover up Exchange Commission launched an invesigaion in

the issues. In China and the Middle East, there Poland’s Central Anicorrupion Bureau has been 2010 over its alleged bribery of foreign government

have been numerous allegaions of corrupion and invesigaing one GSK manager as well as eleven oicials.
bribery, paricularly in regard to paying kickbacks doctors over alleged corrupion ater doctors

to medical praciioners in return for prescribing in more than a dozen health centers were paid Ani-compeiive behavior
GSK drugs. The company has also been criicized in exchange for producing a certain number of

over ani-compeiive behavior and union busing.
prescripions for the company’s asthma drug, In April 2013, the UK Oice of Fair Trading accused
Sereide. The bribes were reportedly disguised GSK of violaing the compeiion law by paying

Ethics in drug trials
as payments for a GSK training program to help rivals to put of the release of similar products such
improve diagnosic standards and medical training as Seroxat and Wellbutrin XL.

At the beginning of 2013, a public interest in respiratory disease.1
liigaion accused pharmaceuical company Union busing

GSK of conducing unauthorized cervical cancer Previously, in 2012, GSK pleaded guilty and agreed

vaccine trials on girls from disadvantaged ethnic to pay USD 3 billion in ines for promoing two Also in April 2013, the company reportedly took
groups in India. Allegedly, between 2009 and drugs for unapproved uses and failing to report puniive acion against the Milk Food Factory

2010 the company tested the vaccine on 24,000 safety data about a diabetes drug to the US Food Workers Union in India, in response to their demand
girls. Seven girls reportedly died during the trials and Drug Administraion. In China, the Ministry of to cut working hours from 16 to 8 per day. Union

and the company did not treat the girls for the Public Security has claimed that GSK funneled CNY members at the Nabha Horlicks Manufacturing
adverse efects of the tesing. Discrepancies were 3 billion in bribes through travel agencies between Plant claimed that the company had suspended

also found in the consent forms, which were not 2007 and 2010. Furthermore, GSK’s research and certain union members and had threatened to cut
signed by the girls’ parents. GSK was also harshly development head in China was ired for allegedly the wages of over 500 employees. Allegedly, GSK

criicized in June 2013 for allegedly improperly faking a scieniic paper.
also took legal acion against the union leaders.
tesing a muliple sclerosis drug on humans at its
1 http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26970873
Shanghai-based research center, before animal RepRisk RRI Graph: GlaxoSmithKline PLC

tesing had been completed.

Health and Safety

GSK has faced a number of accusaions and
lawsuits over the health and safety of its products,

including overstaing the efeciveness of diabetes
drug Avandia and concealing its associated

cardiovascular risks; the neurological disorders
sufered by users of denture creams Poligrip and

Fixodent; and a birth defect allegedly caused by

anidepressant Paxil. The company was also ined
USD 3 billion for bribing doctors in exchange for

prescribing its unapproved anidepressant for
children.

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