GSK Whistleblower Spills The Beans To Blogger

After a three month hiatus, GSK Licence To Kill blogger, the Truthman, has come back with all guns blazing.

He's been contacted by a Whistleblower from GSK India who has a series of allegations that may be worrisome for GSK CEO, Emma Walmsley.

Amongst the allegations are:

"His area manager was asking for personal favors and he wanted the rep to give him money (back-handers). For example: he wanted the rep to pay the school fees of his children (the whistle-blower has screenshots- proof)- and his rent- from the rep’s salary. The rep pleaded that it was ‘not in the culture of GSK’ to pay back-handers to area managers- and that he worked for GSK and not the area manager. The manager was relentless in his pursuit of these backhanders, often harassing the rep whenever he chose.
The rep/whistle-blower refused to pay backhanders and engage in fraud, and  because of this he was harassed, bullied and eventually set up with false charges- which led to his termination."

The allegations come hot on the heels of the Serious Fraud Office announcement late last year that they will be soon finished an investigation of corruption and fraud into GSK's foreign practices.

Maybe they need to hold the front page as Truthman releases more information on GSK's antics in India?

For more of GSK India's dirty deeds, head on over to the exclusive at  GSK : Licence To (K) ill


Bob Fiddaman

UK Serious Fraud Office and the GSK 3

By Bob Fiddaman and The Truthman

(Because two heads are better than one)

In 2014 it was announced that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) were going to be investigating GlaxoSmithKline with regard to their nefarious activities that have recently come to light in countries such as China, UK, USA, Iraq, Poland, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

As with all investigations we rarely get to see what is going on, that's why I found the following court document surprising, so surprising that I decided to invite long time friend and fellow blogger, the Truthman, on board to help me to some digging. Truthman's excellent exposé on GSK can be found on his blog, the aptly titled, "GSK, Licence To Kill."

The court document gives us three names, there may be more employees of GSK, past and present, that may have already been interviewed by the SFO or, as we suspect, many more who may be interviewed in the future.

The three GSK employees, two of them current and one a former employee, are, it appears, not cooperating with the SFO, each claiming that they have a right to be legally represented during those interviews.

According to court documents the three individuals were told by the investigating SFO that they could not have legal representation - the SFO later did a u-turn but told the three that they could not use the services of the same law firm representing GSK with respect to the investigation.

All three asked for a judicial review on the decision claiming that they had a right to use whoever they chose to represent them. The  High Court, after reviewing the original decision, found that the grounds were unarguable.


The three employees.

Whilst it's important to note that the three individuals are not suspects into GSK's alleged bribery and corruption, it's interesting to see the positions they hold at GSK. It's also interesting that these individuals, if they have nothing to hide, would hold up the process of the SFO investigation on the basis that they wanted their legal representation to come from the same law firm, Arnold & Porter UK LLP. If, the 'GSK Three' wished to help the SFO then surely it wouldn't matter who they were represented by.

So, who are the three?

1. Jason Lord. (No photo available)

Research shows that Lord was, in 2006, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Security Adviser in the Corporate Security and Investigations Department.

In 2006, Lord attended and gave a presentation at the Jordan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA), a membership-based association that has organized several IP training events in Jordan. (Web Archive)

For those that don't know, Jordan is another country currently under investigation. The claims are that GSK staff in Jordan have bribed doctors. The allegations relating to Jordan and also Lebanon were first reported in the Wall Street Journal, which cited emails from a person who first contacted GSK in December. The paper said the emails allege that GSK sales representatives bribed doctors to prescribe drugs and vaccines by issuing free samples to doctors that they were allowed to sell on.

Not much else is known about Jason Lord.


2. Paul Reynolds.

Paul Reynolds, GlaxoSmithKline

According to his LinkedIn page, Reynolds currently holds the position of GSK Head of Respiratory Marketing, UK.

Between July 2010 – March 2012 Reynolds was GSK's Senior Marketing Director, Seretide (Europe, Asia Pacific, and Emerging Markets)

Seretide  is a product manufactured and marketed by GlaxoSmithKline, it is used to treat Asthma.

In 2014, BBC Panorama aired 'Who's Paying Your Doctor?' where it was alleged that GSK paid doctors to promote GSK's asthma drug Seretide in Poland between 2010 and 2012.

Ironically, in 2012, Reynolds became Commercial Director, Retail for GlaxoSmithKline, a position which he held in Warsaw, Poland.

In 2011, Reynolds, wrote an article for the pmlive, a webiste about the pharmaceutical industry.

Some of his quotes, we feel, were misplaced. Maybe Reynolds was speaking from the heart when he said...

"Companies like GSK began taking action against the mistakes of the past many years ago. I feel that I operate in a company that  works tirelessly to do the right thing, not just to work within the  rules and to restore trust, but to act and operate transparently and  ethically, because it is the right and the only thing that a business  and an industry should do. Pushing at the boundaries against competitors or with customers, whether they are prescribers, payers or patients, is not good business. The industry was still learning to operate within a new space, having previously enjoyed much greater freedom. So, naturally the focus was on understanding how to operate within new rules, without contravening them.When I look back at this early part of my marketing career, I see the naivety of some of my actions and of those of people around me, as we tested how far we could go while staying within the remit of the Code. For me now, rules are to be bettered and not tested and this outlook is one I see as the norm today."

We find it interesting that Paul Reynolds mentions the 'pushing of the boundaries' early in his career. Was Reynolds suggesting the boundaries of what is ethical perhaps or what is legal? He also says that the industry previously enjoyed 'greater freedom', what exactly does he mean here? 'Greater freedom to do what? Considering  this article was written in 2011 and GSK were yet to be fined for their $3 Billion US fraud felony in 2012, and their China bribe operation in 2014, perhaps Paul Reynolds was being a little premature in his assessment of GSK's ethical compliance system?

As we mentioned, Reynolds currently holds the position of GSK Head of Respiratory Marketing, UK. Seretide is the UK brand name for Advair, as it is known in the US.

GSK's Advair is used to prevent asthma attacks, and to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and the recent whistleblower suit, that GSK plead guilty to and paid a record $3 billion in fines, shows how they aggressively marketed it with promotional 'get togethers' as shown in the video  excerpts [below]

3. Justin Mayger

Justin Mayger, GlaxoSmithKline

Mayger currently holds the position of Director, Compliance and Control Integration at GSK. He was first employed by GSK in 2005 where he took on the position of Senior Business Risk Consultant. Five years later saw Mayger take up the position of Director, Anti-Bribery and Corruption Prevention  (ABAC) at GSK. (LinkedIn)

The role of the ABAC is to investigate allegations as soon as it becomes aware of them. Part of GSK's policy on bribery and corruption in the business reads...

GSK has zero tolerance towards bribery and corruption. GSK employees shall not make, offer to make, or authorise payment to a third party (e.g. sales agent, distributor or intermediary) with knowledge that all or part of the payment will be offered or given to any individual to secure an improper advantage, obtain or retain business.

All three will now be interviewed by the UK Serious Fraud Office. It's unknown why the SFO have picked these three individuals to help with their investigation. 

The court document, THE QUEEN ON THE APPLICATION OF (1) JASON LORD (2)PAUL REYNOLDS (3) JUSTIN MAYGER Claimants v  DIRECTOR OF THE SERIOUS FRAUD OFFICE, can be downloaded here.

Glaxo's current CEO, Andrew Witty, was the Vice President and General Manager of Marketing of Glaxo Wellcome Inc. [GlaxoWellcome and SmithKline Beecham merged in 2000 to become GlaxoSmithKline.] Some of his responsibilities included, strategy development, marketing execution and new product positioning. Witty and his team were awarded a Medical Marketing Association [MMA] award [Medical Marketer of the Year] in 1998. He also worked in the Company’s International New Products groups, both in the Respiratory and HIV/Infectious disease fields.

Two words - Marketing and Respiratory. Alarm bells anyone?

GSK's CEO, Andrew Witty, said in a statement about the record $3 billion payout that “Today brings to resolution difficult, long-standing matters for (Glaxo). Whilst these originate in a different era for the company, they cannot and will not be ignored. On behalf of (Glaxo), I want to express our regret and reiterate that we have learnt from the mistakes that were made,” 

We think the SFO need to look further afield if they wish to get to the bottom of the whole Seretide promotional activities of GSK, if indeed that is their intention here.

Collectively, myself and co-writer, Truthman, strongly urge the SFO to interview Andrew Witty if they wish to know more about the respiratory drug promotion from GlaxoSmithKline. Let's face it, the guy must have a wealth of experience in all matters relating to the respiratory side of the business at the global pharmaceutical giant. Failing that, maybe the SFO should contact Peter Humphrey, he was hired by GSK China to investigate bribery claims, despite GSK denying that the claims were true - they later went on to plead guilty to the claims.

We would be extremely surprised if Andrew Witty ends up anywhere near a prosecution, given that lawyers representing GSK seem to be doing their very best to stall the investigation.

GSK have huge power and sway in the UK, they are a major cash cow, and one only has to look at  the board to see that there are many Knights of the realm (Sir's) who  make most of the executive decisions at GSK. In fact, GSK have so many Knights stewarding the company we could be forgiven if we mistook it as some kind of pseudo-Camelot, except these Knights certainly aren't as chivalrous.



Another Revolving Door

Trying to get a successful prosecution against GSK, or any individuals operating within GSK, may prove to be difficult given that Kathleen Harris, a former SFO lawyer, was recently hired as a partner at US-headquartered firm Arnold & Porter, the very same law firm who are defending Glaxo and who wished to represent the Glaxo three during their interviews. (Source) During her time at the SFO she supervised and provided strategic oversight to a number of high-level investigations and prosecutions. She also played a key role in developing seminal guidelines on critical issues, including plea negotiations, civil remedies, civil recovery and corporate prosecutions.

Upon leaving the SFO to join Arnold & Porter, Harris said, “Arnold & Porter has a prominent group of white collar defense lawyers with extensive criminal law experience on the prosecutorial side from the U.S. Justice Department and other regulatory agencies, as well as on the defense side. It’s great to be a part of this team.” (Source)

It wouldn't surprise us if the current SFO investigation comes down to some sort of plea negotiation between both parties. Both the Truthman and I hope we are wrong. History, however, may repeat itself as this is not the first time we have seen a revolving door between prosecution and defence where GSK have been involved in litigation or investigation. (see US Attorney General Eric Holder and the Revolving Door)

Contrast the SFO investigation with the MHRA's investigation into GSK and you will see such a huge difference. The SFO wish to seek the truth by actually investigating claims, where the MHRA carried out a near five-year investigation into GlaxoSmithKline, commencing in 2003 and ending in 2008, and, well, really didn't do much to find the whole truth.

GSK had failed to report in a timely manner adverse event data from clinical trials in children of its antidepressant, Seroxat (Paxil). (See Restoring Study 329) After nearly five long years the MHRA decided not to prosecute, not only that, it emerged that the MHRA did not even bother to interview any employees from GSK.

At the time, I, Bob Fiddaman, asked the MHRA, under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act, the following question...

“Why were MHRA enforcement investigators unable to question GSK staff?”

The MHRA replied...

Under UK criminal law suspects in criminal investigations can not be compelled to answer questions, they have a right to remain silent. Lengthy negotiations were conducted with solicitors acting for individual members of GSK staff and for GSK itself with a view to persuading them to attend interviews under caution. The conclusion of the correspondence was that all the potential interviewees indicated that they would not attend an interview under caution.

The individual suspects (as opposed to the corporate entity GSK) could have been arrested and required to attend an interview under caution. However they could still not be compelled to answer questions and, given that their solicitors had clearly indicated that they would not answer questions, the investigation team concluded that there was nothing to gain by carrying out arrests.

The near five-year investigation resulted in the MHRA sending GSK a "You've been naughty, but it's okay" type of letter, a letter that, the then current GSK CEO, JP Garnier, responded to by stating, that 'Glaxo had done nothing wrong.'

Talk about arrogance!

Maybe the MHRA should take a lesson from the Serious Fraud Office or, maybe the MHRA need to get better counsel?

Those in-the-know know why the MHRA did not prosecute GSK and it had nothing to do with their official explanation.

Let's hope that Messrs Lord, Reynolds and Mayger can provide the SFO with information they need to find the ringleader involved in the fraud and bribery, let's hope they (SFO) can show the British drug regulator how investigations should be carried out. Let's hope the SFO's investigation leads to criminal prosecutions and, hopefully, some custodial sentences.

With a former SFO employee now working for Arnold & Porter, our hopes may be dashed.

I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope. - Red, Shawshank Redemption

Bob Fiddaman & The Truthman.

What GSK Told Reps to do.

The following video is for the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) who announced last month that they will be investigating GlaxoSmithKline.

It's assumed that the SFO will only be investigating Glaxo's foreign bribery allegations and won't be delving into any alleged bribery or fraud committed in the UK.

If the SFO think that Glaxo's UK practices are whiter than white then they really should take some time out to watch this video.

Blair Hamrick was one of the whistleblowers that blew the lid on Glaxo's off-label promotion of drugs and also how they bribed US doctor's to prescribe Glaxo's drugs.

All the SFO have to do is what I did. They need to put Glaxo UK in the spotlight and ask them if their sales team, including senior management and reps, paid doctors, hospital officials and health institutions to use GSK products in the UK, resulting in the "illegal revenue" of hundreds of millions of British pounds. Or if they, as a company, ever bribed UK government officials?

If GSK answer 'No' then the SFO can do one of two things.

1. Believe them

2. Investigate to see if they are telling the truth.


Here's the video.




Related stories.

A Message From the UK Serious Fraud Office re GSK

Cronyism, Chinese Style

GlaxoSmithKline: The Andrew Witty "Era"

Advair Launch 2001: GSK's “Myth of Mild” Campaign


Bob Fiddaman

Glaxo to Settle With More States in $105 Million Deal

Following yesterdays news, that Glaxo had entered into an agreement with the Oregon Department of Justice, comes news of further settlement agreements being reached in the US.

It's now being reported that GSK will pay $105 million to settle claims with California, New York and more than 40 other states that it illegally promoted asthma and antidepressant drugs.

The deal isn't just a monetary one...Glaxo, however, would like the general public to think that it is.

Part of the deal is that Glaxo have to stop using paid doctors to promote its products. Glaxo, after being fined a record breaking $3 billion in 2012 for similar offences, have claimed to be doing this off their own bat...when in fact their hand has been forced by these settlement agreements.

The State of California are to receive $7.1 million, the highest payment to any of the other states mentioned in the agreement. Texas stands to get $6.2 million under the deal, while Pennsylvania and New Jersey stand to receive $4.1 million and $2.45 million

Glaxo have also recently settled many Paxil birth defect cases, a figure that is estimated at $1 billion.

Glaxo have also recently been in the news for bribing doctors in China, Iraq, Poland, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan - back story.

On May 27th the British Serious Fraud Office (SFO) announced that GlaxoSmithKline were being investigated by officials in Britain. I have wrote to the SFO asking them to elaborate on the investigation and also asked them if they will be investigating any bribery or fraud committed in the UK by GlaxoSmithKline. The SFO have wrote back but have, as yet, not announced if they will be investigating bribery or fraud from any of GSK's UK practices.

So, Glaxo settling claims against them left, right and centre at the moment.

They refuse, however, to settle claims brought against them by members of the British public regarding Seroxat [Paxil] and its propensity to cause withdrawal problems. A lawsuit, filed over 10 years ago, sees Glaxo refuse to compensate a number of British consumers who became addicted to Seroxat. Glaxo have refused to enter into any type of settlement agreement and have denied all allegations that Seroxat is addictive. This, despite settling with over 3,000 consumers who made claims against them in the US a number of years ago.

It seems that GlaxoSmithKline, a British company, can pay the consequences of their illegal activities in foreign countries but refuse to do so when they do the same on their own soil.

Don't you just love the British Justice system!

Bob Fiddaman.

GSK's Sales Reps Want Their Money Back

Where's John Grisham when you need him?

Seriously, you really couldn't make this shit up.

The Financial Times are running with a story that's as jaw-dropping as anything I've read thus far regarding the bribery scandal in China. I had to do a double-take, had I fallen asleep last night and somehow travelled back in time to April 1st? There were no skid marks from DeLorean tyres in my bedroom and my computer told me it was 29/05/2014.

"GSK salesmen want ‘bribes’ reimbursed" is the headline, what follows is pure Grishamism.

GlaxoSmithKline, the UK pharmaceutical company at the centre of a Chinese corruption scandal, is facing protests from junior employees who say the company is refusing to reimburse them for bribes they were ordered to pay by their superiors.

Now some Chinese sales staff are complaining that GSK has denied bonuses, threatened dismissal or refused to reimburse them for bribes they say were sanctioned by their superiors to boost the company’s drug sales. In some cases, managers instructed them to purchase fake receipts that were used to cover up bribes paid in cash or gifts to doctors and hospitals, according to salesmen interviewed by the Financial Times.

In some instances, managers disguised their involvement by using their personal email address to instruct staff to pay bribes and by ordering junior staff to claim on their personal expense accounts – even if the bribe was actually paid out by the manager – according to these people.

In late March, disgruntled staff sent 25 representatives to GSK’s headquarters in Shanghai, where they unfurled a banner that read: “Return my hard-earned money.”

Cor blimey governor, can you Adam and Eve it!

So, let's get this straight.

Glaxo's reps paid bribes out of their own pockets that were later to be reimbursed by the company...and now they are telling Glaxo that they want reimbursing?

Here's the Financial Times again...

“The expenses were paid with our own money, and although the receipts were not compliant, it was our managers who told us to buy the fake receipts,” said one former GSK salesman.

The FT article goes on to explain that some sales reps were warned not to implicate senior staff, in many instances, according to the FT,  management "approached each person [rep] before they were questioned and asked them not to mention his name. He even prepared a story for them to tell the investigator.”

Glaxo have denied that this is a systematic problem throughout their global operation - they've even denied it after other allegations of bribery have surfaced in other countries, namely Iraq, Poland, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and now the UK. [back story]

We hear the same old line from GSK when they have been caught by investigating officials, citing that they will "cooperate fully with investigators".

I thought long and hard about this line. It's pure psychology. By stating that they will cooperate fully with investigators eases the guilt and, at the same time, paints a picture that Glaxo were unaware what was going on. In essence, "We will cooperate fully with investigators", actually means we've been caught red-handed and will answer any of your questions. We will not offer you any specific evidence unless you ask for it specifically. Glaxo do the same when faced with litigation too.

I find it laughable that reps who knowingly broke rules with their own money now want reimbursing. It's akin to the Yorkshire Ripper billing the tool shop where he purchased his hammer from. Apologies for using such a heinous crime as an analogy - I'm referring to the Yorkshire Ripper and not Glaxo's bribery.

It's been alleged that female sales reps were told to offer sexual favours to doctors in efforts to get them to prescribe more of GSK's drugs. [back story]

Are we to assume then that these female reps will be asking for reimbursement of the contraceptives and/or mouthwash they purchased?

The UK's Serious Fraud Office recently announced that they are investigating GSK. It's highly likely that they will just focus on GSK's illegal activities overseas and won't even bother to look to see if GSK reps have been doing the same here in the UK.

The FT article can be read here. You may have to subscribe to read all the content.

Bob Fiddaman

A Message From the UK Serious Fraud Office re GSK

GlaxoSmithKline plc investigation

27 May 2014

The Director of the SFO has opened a criminal investigation into the commercial practices of GlaxoSmithKline plc and its subsidiaries.

Whistleblowers are valuable sources of information to the SFO in its cases.  We welcome approaches from anyone with inside information on all our cases including this one - we can be contacted through our secure and confidential reporting channel, which can be accessed via the SFO website.

Notes to editors:

The SFO's secure reporting channel can be accessed here: https://report.sfo.gov.uk/sfo-confidential---provide-information-in-confidence.aspx or via our website home page, www.sfo.gov.uk
The Serious Fraud Office is an independent government department responsible for investigating and prosecuting serious and complex fraud, bribery and corruption. It is headed by the Director, David Green CB QC, who exercises powers under the superintendence of the Attorney General. These powers are derived from the Criminal Justice Act 1987.

The SFO Press Office can be contacted on press.office@sfo.gsi.gov.uk or 020 7239 7316 / 7004 (out of hours: +44 (0) 7557 009 842)

[Source]


I actually went out and purchased a bottle of wine last night on the strength of this latest news.

The SFO may want to investigate the British drug regulator, The MHRA, too. It was they who, after a four-year investigation of GlaxoSmithKline, decided to let Glaxo off with a warning letter. No criminal charges were brought against GSK...even after the MHRA learned during their investigation that GSK had knowingly withheld safety data regarding children taking the antidepressant Seroxat [Known as Paxil in the US]

The MHRA's four year investigation into GlaxoSmithKline failed on a catastrophic level.

Alistair Benbow, who was then Head of European Psychiatry at GSK, claimed on National TV that Seroxat could be safe in children even though his company did not have a licence to recommend it to children. [1]

All the SFO need to do is request disclosure from GSK. Emails, documents and, more importantly, the notes taken by GSK's pharmaceutical reps during their visits to doctors and psychiatrists. Did Glaxo's UK reps offer the same incentives to British doctors as GSK's American, Chinese, Polish and Iraqi reps did?

Once they have these in their possession then I'm sure they will be able to retrace who said what and who they said it to.

It is imperative that the SFO obtain these documents.

The MHRA should have requested the same documents but why would they? They rely on pharmaceutical money, in fact, they are fully funded by the pharmaceutical industry.

The SFO are calling on whistleblowers - good luck. The carrot being dangled isn't really as attractive as the carrot dangled in front of whistleblowers in the US.

I suspect the SFO are merely following up on the alleged bribery in China - they need to do more than follow-up though.

GlaxoSmithKline is infested, it's driven by a culture where sales mean everything.

I do hope the SFO turn over every item they come across, I do hope this is not just them following up on GSK's foreign violations.

There are plenty of experts out there who could help the SFO's investigation, whether they choose to use them is another matter.

No stone unturned is the order of the day here. The SFO will, no doubt, face tough opposition from the current UK government. Deals may be struck given that Glaxo's chairman, Andrew Witty, and the current Prime Minister, David Cameron, are friends and business acquaintances. [2]

One thing is certain though. The eyes of the world are watching.

Bob Fiddaman


[1] Seroxat - The Liars? [Video]

[2] Cronyism, Chinese Style

GSK Under Pressure From UK Authorities... Experts Claim

GSK, the British pharmaceutical company who, time and time again, break global laws, are in danger of running foul of the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO), claim experts.

Why now?

Glaxo have been violating rules and regulations for many years. They pay the fines, [handed down in US Courts] make limp-wristed promises not to be naughty again, promise to be more transparent in the future yet only offer that transparency to people they want to, run "Patient First" programs that have nothing to do with putting patients first... then...continue to violate rules and regulations.

The Serious Fraud Office may or may not investigate Glaxo's latest bribery allegations in Poland, China, Iraq and Jordan - thing is, they should have been investigating GlaxoSmithKline years ago.

• Investigate the deal Glaxo struck with the US Department of Justice and how that deal protected GSK CEO Andrew Witty.
• Investigate the way they systematically hid the Seroxat addiction link in the UK.
• Investigate Glaxo's ties with the UK drug regulator, the MHRA.
• Investigate Glaxo's promotional push for Seroxat in pediatrics, even though it was never recommended for pediatric use.
• Investigate the MHRA's half-assed investigation into GlaxoSmithKline where key witnesses were ignored, resulting in a failure to prosecute GlaxoSmithKline.

According to Nathan Peacey, regulatory partner at law firm Bond Dickinson, "If GSK was charged by the SFO, the most likely outcome would be a deferred prosecution arrangement (DPA), a new sentencing option which holds back prosecution as long as the company agrees to take certain measures to address any issues. DPAs were introduced in February as an alternative to prosecution, which under the Bribery Act could involve a ban from public contracts."

Amazing isn't it?

With an abhorrent history of breaking the law it would appear that, even if prosecuted, GSK could use "We promise to be good boys and girls in the future" as a defence. In essence that's how the deferred prosecution arrangement works.

So, next time your local council or TV licence authorities threaten you with a hefty fine for non-payment... just quote the deferred prosecution arrangement and make promises that you will be good boys and girls in the future.

Even when you have this pharmaceutical company by the balls there's always some hidden clause that will let them off the hook.

In any event, what has the British drug regulator, the MHRA, been doing all these years?

One word, four syllables.

Pharmafia.

Bob Fiddaman.