California-Based Pharmaceutical Company Settles with SEC Regarding FCPA Offenses in China

FCPA SEC China

On February 4, the SEC settled FCPA allegations with a California-based pharmaceutical company with a cease and desist order finding that the company violated the FCPA’s anti-bribery, books and records, and internal controls provisions related to activities in China. The SEC found that from at least 2007 to 2012, employees of the company’s subsidiaries gave money and gifts to Chinese officials (including employees of state-owned hospitals) in order to boost sales. The SEC further found that the company failed to devise and implement a sufficient system of internal accounting controls and lacked an effective anti-corruption compliance program.

The company consented to the SEC’s order without admitting or denying the charges and agreed to pay $12.8 million to resolve the charges, including a $2.5 million penalty, the disgorgement of $9.426 million in profits, and $900,000 in prejudgment interest. The company will also provide status reports to the SEC for the next three years regarding remediation efforts and new anti-corruption compliance measures. The company simultaneously announced that the DOJ had declined to pursue any additional action.