Drug company denies allegations of bribery in Finnish justice ministry investigation

Finland’s chancellor of justice is investigating claims that a government institute accepted research money from a drug company and then approved the purchase of large amounts of one of its vaccines for use in the recent swine flu pandemic.

The allegations have, however, been denied by the drug company, GlaxoSmithKline, and the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare.

Last week the institute recommended that vaccination with the drug in question, Pandemrix, should be halted until an explanation is found for an observed rise in cases of narcolepsy among children and adolescents in Finland who had been given it.

The chancellor of justice, whose remit includes ruling on allegations of wrongdoing by state officials, has received complaints about the decision making process for use of …