GlaxoChinaGate contd. - All aboard the Botox gravy train!

By LAURIE BURKITT in Beijing And CHRISTOPHER M. MATTHEWS in Washington BEIJING—GlaxoSmithKline GSK.LN  PLC employees in China are said to have organized an all-expense-paid trip in May for a group of doctors to tour the scenic river town of Guilin, one of China's premier tourist destinations. The goal: Get Chinese doctors to begin prescribing the company's Botox medication, according to an anonymous tipster who alerted company executives. Cui Lihua, a physician at Beijing's Bo'ai Hospital, was one of the more than 30 doctors invited on a three-day tour that included a trip to Elephant Hills and Seven Stars Park, attractions known for their lush natural settings and a chance to see wild monkeys. Though an itinerary reviewed by The Wall Street Journal didn't specify time for training, Dr. Cui says she learned a lot and received a lecture fee from Glaxo. She declined to comment on the fee, wouldn't provide details on the value of the trip and didn't respond to subsequent requests for comment. Other trips allegedly went farther afield, to places as far-flung as Budapest and Greece, according to travel documents that the anonymous tipster sent to Glaxo executives that were later reviewed by the Journal. The tipster said such company-sponsored trips were part of a broader effort involving perks and cash—including 1,000 yuan, or about $160, honorariums and 2,000-yuan speaking fees—to get doctors to boost drug prescriptions. A Glaxo spokesman declined to comment on the...
Source: PharmaGossip - Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: Source Type: blogs