As a bribery scandal continues to engulf GlaxoSmithKline in China, UCB has revealed that its offices have been visited by authorities this week.
A spokesperson from the Belgian firm told Reuters that Chinese officials “have been launching inspections with several pharma companies active in the country, both Chinese and foreign companies such as ours”. As part of the process, its Shanghai office was visited by officials from the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and were seeking information on compliance.
The spokesperson added that officials were also investigating other drugmakers, although he did not identify them. In recent days, a number of companies, including Novartis, Roche, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, have stated that they are not aware of any investigations into their Chinese operations.
News of the UCB investigation came after Chinese authorities suspended the business of the Shanghai Linjiang International Travel Agency, which is at the centre of the bribery allegations that GSK has been facing.
