J&J e Ethicon do Brasil: quero certidão negativa do Brasil.

A Johnson & Johnson declarou nos Estados Unidos que um de seus executivos prevaricou em países não identificados com produtos da Ethicon. Como a Ethicon atua em quase todos os hospitais do país, gostaria muito de ver uma declaração negativa oriunda da matriz isentando os executivos brasileiros da empresa. A ANVISA precisa agir de imediato, afinal estamos todos sob suspeita: órgão regulador, a filial brasileira, gestores públicos e privados e dirigentes hospitalares. Abaixo, artigo de The Wall Street Journal sobre o tema.

J&J Reports Improper Payments Drug Firm Tells RegulatorsOf Expenditures Overseas;A Senior Executive Resigns By AVERY JOHNSON, KARA SCANNELL and JON KAMPFebruary 13, Johnson & Johnson said it alerted federal officials to improper overseas payments and that one of its senior executives is resigning over the probe. The New Brunswick, N.J., health-care conglomerate voluntarily told the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission that it believes its subsidiaries made improper payments in two countries regarding the sale of medical devices. Michael J. Dormer, world-wide chairman for Medical Devices & Diagnostics, stepped down as a result of the revelations. Mr. Dormer had been in charge of several medical-device divisions, including Ethicon, Ethicon Endo-Surgery and DePuy. The company didn't name the countries involved. A J&J spokesman declined to comment beyond the press release, which said that Mr. Dormer told the company in a letter that he has "ultimate responsibility by virtue of my position" for the subsidiaries involved in the disclosure. The J&J spokesman said Mr. Dormer was not available. An SEC spokesman declined to comment. Get alerts for breaking news -- such as Fed moves, major world events and big mergers -- delivered straight to your desktop. Alerts will appear in a small window on your screen, much like an instant-messaging window. The disclosures are a bitter pill for a company that prides itself on its clean corporate image. It was not immediately clear whether the probe extended beyond the countries, which J&J described as "small" markets, or what specific allegations or subsidiaries it involves. But J&J said that the payments in question may fall within the jurisdiction of the federal Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibit improper payments to foreign officials in order to win or keep business. The Justice Department and SEC have stepped up their pursuit of foreign-bribery cases in recent years, including a record $28.5 million collection against Titan Corp. in 2005. Titan pleaded guilty to settle allegations involving improper payments to Titan's agent in Benin, Africa, some of which were passed on to the re-election campaign of the country's then-president, according to government papers. The government alleged that Titan paid the money in an effort to win higher fees for a telecommunications project. Other companies have reached settlements, which generally involve deferred-prosecution agreements with federal prosecutors where the company or its subsidiary agrees to settle the allegation instead of facing an indictment. In a deferred-prosecution agreement, an indictment is usually filed but is dismissed if the company adheres to the terms of its settlement. As part of a joint settlement, most companies also agree to have a corporate monitor in place to inspect internal controls and book-and-record keeping. The SEC and Justice Department have several open joint investigations. Johnson & Johnson has a huge medical-devices business, with products ranging from replacement hips and knees to blood glucose meters and drug-coated heart devices. The company's Medical Devices & Diagnostics division registered $20.28 billion in sales last year, about 38% of total corporate sales. Device sales were split about evenly between the U.S. and international markets.