Sanofi investigated for alleged China bribery

China is investigating French drugmaker Sanofi SA (SNY.NYSE, SAN.EPA) as part of a deeper dig into a pharmaceutical bribery scandal, Reuters reported, citing the official Xinhua News Agency. Authorities are probing if the company has paid bribes of about US$277,600 (RMB1.7 million) to Chinese doctors to boost product sales. Last week an anonymous whistleblower told the semi-independent 21st Century Business Herald newspaper that Sanofi staff gave kickbacks to 503 doctors at 79 hospitals in Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou in late 2007. Sanofi said in a statement that it had zero tolerance for any unethical practices.