Feds Broaden Big Pharma Bribery Investigation

New York Times:

At least a dozen major drug and device makers are under investigation by federal prosecutors and securities regulators in a broadening bribery inquiry into whether the companies made illegal payments to doctors and health officials in foreign countries.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[blueken]

10:42 AM on 08/17/2010

Is it just me, or is there a disturbing pattern of investigations of criminal activity turning into nothing more than shake downs for hundreds of million dollars? No one goes to jail, nothing changes, you promise not to do it again, and pay a fine. Has our Justice Department turned into a protection racket? Maybe we could do that with the criminal system. You promise not to murder again? Ok, pay a fine of $1 million and we will forget the whole thing.

[pup sydney]

12:24 AM on 08/17/2010

Fines do not work for multubillion dollars corporations. Pull the license next company will get it. Or whatever makes the business impossible to operate.

[tyger]

06:01 PM on 08/16/2010

disturbing but not surprising.

[nypapajoe]

03:01 PM on 08/16/2010

It's about time now let's get some indictment going and put some people in jail!

[guveqzero]

12:30 PM on 08/16/2010

Bribery isn't at question here. It's, can they be prosecuted for it? Like banks, these companies have big money and vast legal teams to thwart criminal prosecution by all means necessary.

Isn't our system of government grand? Time to take the blindfold off lady justice.

[farmilyman]

10:59 AM on 08/16/2010

Doesn't everyone know by now that's the way BigPharma operates? There are billions of dollars at stake.

[FatFeline]

03:38 AM on 08/16/2010

I read the headline. I got excited. I thought they were investigating the deal Obama made with Pharma for Health Reform. The deal where Pharma agreed to not finance Republicans in return for the government not being allowed to negotiate drug prices. Alas, I was wrong.. The Obama deal was not what is under investigation. We will have to wait until the Republican controlled 112th Congress to see that investigation.

[blueken]

10:44 AM on 08/17/2010

Fatfeline, if you think that the Republicans will be tougher on Big Pharma, well............

[OBroadhurst]

11:23 PM on 08/15/2010

We need another Doonesbury cartoon of Megaphone Mark Slackmeyer here:

Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

[Easy420forMe]

08:53 PM on 08/15/2010

Big Pharma also stands in the way of legalized cannabis... you realize how many drugs you could take from the manufacturers if you could grow medicine at your own home? I think antibiotics would be all I need. Big Pharma no "likey" THC

[Tom Payned]

04:22 PM on 08/15/2010

I hope they also look into bribes in our last two White Houses, and senates.

Amazing that Shrub wouldn't allow price negotiations in his prescription drug plan, which the VA has, and of course, those who follow reality, instead of Flush & BecKKKERhead, know that Shrub didn't pay for it which is a significant part of the national debt. The corrupt senate passed the bill.

Switch to 08 Candidate Obama runs on allowing reimporation of drugs from other countries, (who have price negotiations) as part of his health care reform act. There are senators from northern boarder states, and states with a large elderly population which support this. However, once in office, we find Obama has cut a deal with big Pharma not to allow reimporation, and when some brave senators try to insert it into the bill, it's shot down.

We continue to subsidize the rest of the world's drug prices, not only through the high costs we pay, plus the tax breaks on R&D, much of which takes place in our universities, tax breaks for marketing, and continuing patents long past their original time limits, thus keeping generic makers out of the lowering of competitive products.

Of course, what should we expect? We have the best government money can buy. And now, money is free speech and corporations are "persons" who can spend as much money as they want to exercise their support for each corrupt elected official.

[demsrsilly]

05:07 AM on 08/16/2010

yes, I think barry's closed door bribes by the drug companies should be investigated.

Remember when barry was all about transparency? Oh wait, he was also for importing prescription drugs...

[mcmutter]

02:16 PM on 08/15/2010

The same exact Rx drugs produced in the US are sold in both europe and domestically ....

The difference ? .... They're cheaper in europe (their governments negotiate the prices down) ....
and in the US we don't .... therefore we subsidize eupopean drug prices (making it cheaper for them) ....

Shouldn't we be payng the same ?

[tangelan]

01:00 AM on 08/16/2010

Who else is going to pay for R&D?

[parlimentMike]

04:11 AM on 08/17/2010

Most of the R&D is already subsidized at universities.

Our leaders have sold out the American People when it comes to Pharmaceuticals, plain and simple.

[Hokeysmokes]

02:08 PM on 08/15/2010

Steppenwolf ~ The Pusher

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XqyGoE2Q4Y&feature=related

[WhatChanged]

01:53 PM on 08/15/2010

Will they investigate big pharma's payoff to Obama?

[DrObvious]

12:49 PM on 08/15/2010

how do we reign in an industry that is willing to engage in any immorality to profit from their fellow man?

[Chris 54321]

02:01 AM on 08/16/2010

Ok so you have just described Corporate America.
Where do you suggest we start?
..I do agree with you - but - the Corporate mantra has always been - profit before people, sadly.

[parlimentMike]

04:13 AM on 08/17/2010

Step 1, fire the watchdogs who haven't barked. Congress.

[RatgurlSD]

11:30 AM on 08/15/2010

It's about effin' time!