Today, it was announced that Alexion finalized its settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to resolve the previously disclosed investigation related to the company’s compliance in certain countries with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other applicable laws. Without admitting or denying the SEC's findings, Alexion will make a payment of approximately $21.5 million in disgorgement, civil penalties, and pre-judgment interest pursuant to the SEC’s Order Instituting Proceedings (OIP). As previously disclosed, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has closed its inquiry into this matter.
Alexion is pleased to have reached a resolution and to have such a strong and effective compliance culture and program in place today. We are proud of the actions we’ve taken that have expanded and strengthened our compliance organization, enhanced third-party payment processes and procedures, revamped our HCP engagement process and improved anti-corruption training for employees, among many other continued enhancements implemented by the current management team to meet the high standards that patients, physicians and the public expect from a leading global company.
This settlement marks the conclusion of investigations related to the previously disclosed May 2015 subpoena from the SEC and an October 2015 voluntary request for information from the DOJ focused on the company’s operations and compliance with the FCPA in various countries including Brazil, Colombia, Japan, Russia and Turkey, and other applicable laws.
We are proud of the culture and leadership established at Alexion, and we look forward to a promising future, which is built on our continuing commitment to compliance and acting with integrity while also delivering on our mission of transforming the lives of people with rare and devastating diseases.