UK-Based Pharmaceutical Company Agrees to Pay $5.5 Million to Settle FCPA Charges with SEC

FCPA SEC China

On August 30, the SEC announced a $5.5 million settlement with a U.K.-based pharmaceutical company to settle charges under the FCPA’s books and records and internal control provisions due to allegedly improper payments made by the company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries in China and Russia. In its administrative order, the SEC alleged that the Chinese subsidiaries made improper payments to doctors at state-owned healthcare providers to incentivize purchasing and prescribing the company’s pharmaceuticals. The improper payments were funded by fraudulent tax receipts, inflated travel invoices, and fabricated speaker fees. The Chinese subsidiary also allegedly made improper payments to government officials in exchange for reductions or dismissals of proposed financial sanctions against the subsidiary. Similarly, the SEC alleged that the company’s Russian subsidiary made improper payments in connection with pharmaceutical sales. Without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, the company agreed to disgorge $4.325 million and pay a $375,000 civil penalty with $822,000 in prejudgment interest.

The SEC’s administrative order indicates that the company waived its statute of limitations defenses. This is notable because the company’s misconduct allegedly ended in 2010, and the statute of limitations for FCPA offenses is five years.

This settlement represents another in a series of SEC investigations of the pharmaceutical industry.