Glaxo to stop paying doctors to promote drugs

Drugs giant GlaxoSmith-Kline will stop paying for doctors to attend medical conferences and scrap some sales targets as it seeks to mend its reputation in the wake of a damaging scandal over multimillion-pound bribery claims in China.

CEO Andrew Witty said the changes were about putting the needs of patients first and “meeting the wider expectations of society”, though he did not link them to the allegations.

The firm employs more than 1,600 people in five locations in Ireland including manufacturing sites in Curabinny, Co Cork, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, and Co Sligo.