Editing GSK plc (section)

===Miscellaneous===
Italian police sought bribery charges in May 2004, against 4,400 doctors and 273 GSK employees. GSK and its predecessor were accused of having spent £152m on physicians, pharmacists and others, giving them cameras, computers, holidays and cash. Doctors were alleged to have received cash based on the number of patients they treated with a cancer drug, [[topotecan]] (Hycamtin).<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hooper |first1=John |last2=Stewart |first2=Heather |date=27 May 2004 |title=Over 4,000 doctors face charges in Italian drugs scandal |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/may/27/italy.heatherstewart |access-date=31 August 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en |archive-date=31 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831183705/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/may/27/italy.heatherstewart |url-status=live }}</ref> The following month prosecutors in Munich accused 70–100 doctors of having accepted bribes from SmithKline Beecham between 1997 and 1999. The inquiry was opened over allegations that the company had given over 4,000 hospital doctors money and free trips.<ref>{{cite journal |pmc=420312 |year=2004 |last1=Burgermeister |first1=J. |title=German prosecutors probe again into bribes by drug companies |journal=BMJ |volume=328 |issue=7452 |page=1333 |doi=10.1136/bmj.328.7452.1333-a |pmid=15178593}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 March 2002 |title=Glaxo probed over doctor freebies |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/1869162.stm |access-date=31 August 2022 |archive-date=17 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017042412/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC420312/pdf/bmj3281333a.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> All charges were dismissed by the Verona court in January 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gsk.com/media/2684/annual-report-2008.pdf |title=GlaxoSmithKline Annual Report 2008 |page=177 |access-date=8 October 2015 |archive-date=26 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171126032619/http://www.gsk.com/media/2684/annual-report-2008.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2006, in the United States GSK settled the largest tax dispute in IRS history, agreeing to pay US$3.1&nbsp;billion. At issue were Zantac and other products sold in 1989 to 2005. The case revolved around intracompany [[transfer pricing]]—determining the share of profit attributable to the US subsidiaries of GSK and subject to tax by the IRS.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/12/business/worldbusiness/12glaxo.html "GlaxoSmithKline to Settle Tax Dispute With U.S."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329043037/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/12/business/worldbusiness/12glaxo.html |date=29 March 2017 }}, Reuters, 12 September 2006</ref><ref>[https://www.irs.gov/uac/IRS-Accepts-Settlement-Offer-in-Largest-Transfer-Pricing-Dispute "IRS Accepts Settlement Offer in Largest Transfer Pricing Dispute"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113224040/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/12/business/worldbusiness/12glaxo.html |date=13 November 2020 }}, IRS, 11 September 2006.</ref>

The UK's [[Serious Fraud Office (United Kingdom)|Serious Fraud Office]] (SFO) opened a criminal inquiry in 2014 into GSK's sales practices, using powers granted by the [[Bribery Act 2010]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/may/28/serious-fraud-office-investigates-glaxosmithkline |title=GlaxoSmithKline faces criminal investigation by Serious Fraud Office |last=Kollewe |first=Julia |work=The Guardian |date=28 May 2014 |access-date=11 December 2016 |archive-date=5 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205172034/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/may/28/serious-fraud-office-investigates-glaxosmithkline |url-status=live }}</ref> The SFO said it was collaborating with Chinese authorities to investigate bringing charges in the UK related to GSK's activities in China, Europe and the Middle East.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ridley |first=Kirstin |date=23 July 2014 |title=UK fraud office liaising with China on GSK bribery case |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-fraud-sfo-gsk-idUSKBN0FS1U320140723 |access-date=31 August 2022 |archive-date=21 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221193748/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-fraud-sfo-gsk-idUSKBN0FS1U320140723 |url-status=live }}</ref> Also {{as of|2014|lc=yes}}, the US Department of Justice was investigating GSK with reference to the [[Foreign Corrupt Practices Act]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=12 August 2014 |title=GlaxoSmithKline faces bribery claims in Syria |work=The Telegraph |agency=Reuters |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/pharmaceuticalsandchemicals/11027538/Serious-Fraud-Office-opens-criminal-investigation-into-GlaxoSmithKline.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=31 August 2022 |archive-date=18 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618013944/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/pharmaceuticalsandchemicals/11027538/Serious-Fraud-Office-opens-criminal-investigation-into-GlaxoSmithKline.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In October 2020, GSK told some staff that while at work they should disable the contact tracing function of the NHS test-and-trace app which monitors the spread of COVID-19. GSK explained the reason for this was due to social distancing measures in place at their sites rendering the technology unnecessary.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/oct/06/gsk-tells-staff-turn-off-covid-test-trace-app-work |title=GSK tells UK staff: turn off Covid test-and-trace app while at work |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=6 October 2020 |access-date=6 October 2020 |last=Davies |first=Rob |archive-date=3 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203105828/https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/oct/06/gsk-tells-staff-turn-off-covid-test-trace-app-work |url-status=live }}</ref>

In November 2023, GSK filed a lawsuit against Moderna Inc. in U.S. federal court in Delaware, accusing the company of violating GSK's patents related to messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. The lawsuit claims that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax and RSV vaccine mResvia infringe on several of GSK's patents, particularly those related to lipid nanoparticles used for delivering mRNA into the human body.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=GSK Sues Pfizer, Pharmacia & Upjohn & BioNTech for Infringing mRNA Vaccine Patents {{!}} Insights & Resources {{!}} Goodwin |url=https://www.goodwinlaw.com/en/insights/blogs/2024/04/gsk-sues-pfizer-pharmacia--upjohn--biontech-for-infringing-mrna-vaccine-patents |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=www.goodwinlaw.com |language=en}}</ref> This legal action follows a similar lawsuit GSK filed against Pfizer and BioNTech earlier in 2024, also over patent infringement concerning their mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine. The current litigation seeks unspecified monetary damages from Moderna.<ref name=":2" />