Glaxo fires staff in China over massive corruption and bribe investigations

Pharma company GlaxoSmithKline has fired many of its staff in China over allegations of bribes and other corruption. The company employs around 7,000 people in China. The dismissals followed accusations that GSK funneled nearly $400 million to Chinese doctors and officials to encourage them to use its medicines. The close scrutiny of Britain’s biggest drug firm was part of a tightening of regulation on foreign firms operating in China. In 2012, GSK dismissed 312 staff for policy violations worldwide, according to its annual corporate responsibility report, of which 56 were in China.