The manipulation of clinical research data used to develop the blood pressure drug Diovan sold by Novartis Pharma K.K. has prompted a special squad of Tokyo prosecutors to search the Japanese unit of the Swiss drugmaker as well as the universities that conducted the research.
An industry official says the case reflects structural problems in the relationship between doctors and the pharmaceutical industry, and a ministry survey suggests it could be just the tip of an iceberg.
"If compared to a master-slave relationship, the doctor is the master and the drugmaker is the slave," a former executive from Novartis' Japanese unit said. "Why do only manufacturers come under criticism?"