Eye care giant Alcon accused of bribery in China
Staff Reporter 2013-09-18 12:39
A patient undergoes eye surgery in Gansu province. (Photo/CNS)
Global eye care giant Alcon has been accused of bribing doctors in China in exchange for using the company's products on patients, reports the Guangzhou-based 21st Century Business Herald.
According to an anonymous whistlebower, Alcon bribed eye care specialists under the guise of a post enumeration survey program that provides "research funding" to more than 200 eye hospitals and specialists across China.
The company was said to have signed agreements with doctors under which funding would be provided if the doctor accumulates a certain number of patient evaluations of Alcon products within a specific time frame, thereby encouraging the use of Alcon products over that of its competitors. The source noted a doctor who racks up 150 evaluation cases would receive funding of as much as 45,000 yuan (US$7,300).
The funding would be provided directly into the doctor's bank account through an outsourced intermediary, the whistleblower said, adding that those who do not meet their targets or are unwilling to sign the agreements would be directly removed from Alcon's program.
The Alcon products linked to the bribing scandal are intraocular lens brands such as Restor, Toric, IQ, Duovisc, Intrepid and Cachet.
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis, which acquired Alcon in late 2010, says it is aware of the 21st Century Business Herald report and does not tolerate legal violations.
Alcon remains the number one intraocular lens provider in China, though its market share has been declining in recent years with the entrance of competitors such as Bausch & Lomb. While Alcon's market share is no longer the 80% it once was, its share is still more than double that of its nearest competitor.
