Reuters, WASHINGTON | Fri Apr 8, 2011 12:14pm EDT
(Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) has agreed to pay $70 million to settle U.S. charges that it paid bribes and kickbacks to win business overseas, the first major pharmaceutical company to settle since the Obama administration began its scrutiny of the industry more than a year ago.
Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay a $21.4 million fine to settle criminal charges and pay more than $48.6 million in disgorgement and interest to settle charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC said in a statement.
The Justice Department announced in November 2009 that it would focus on prosecuting those in the pharmaceutical industry who try to bribe foreign officials for preferential treatment of their products, leading to a wide-ranging probe.
(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky, editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
Cosmetics and drugs giant Johnson & Johnson, the 15th largest
US company by market capitalisation, was found to have paid doctors
and hospital administrators in Europe for contracts and to promote
its drugs and medical devices / AFP
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