Who was sanctioned, and for what?

From 2018 to 2021, the pharmaceutical manufacturer allegedly used two patient assistance foundations to fund Medicare beneficiaries’ co-payments for its drug Oxervate in order to promote its sales. Following a self-disclosure, Dompé paid 32 million USD.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Justice / U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts

Area of law

Bribery and corruption · Gifts, hospitality and benefits

Legal basis

Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)); False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 ff.)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Mitigating circumstances

Self-disclosure.

Original amount 32,000,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

Henkel wanted to buy the construction adhesive brand Liquid Nails for 725 million USD from the financial investor American Industrial Partners, thereby taking over the main competitor of its Loctite brand. After a seven-day trial, the federal court, on application by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), issued a permanent injunction against the acquisition.

Authority / court

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (auf Antrag der FTC)

Area of law

Competition law · Merger control

Legal basis

Section 7 Clayton Act; Section 13(b) FTC Act (Permanent Injunction)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

17 Aug 2026

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

From 2016 to 2023, Veloxis provided transplant professionals with expensive meals and alcohol, trips and stays at luxury resorts, gifts and consultancy fees without consideration, and paid specialty pharmacies concealed remuneration in order to promote prescriptions and purchases of the immunosuppressant Envarsus XR. The company entered into a Deferred Prosecution Agreement with a criminal payment of more than 10 million USD, is paying 34.45 million USD under civil law (21,211,251 USD to the federal government, 13,238,749 USD to states) and a penalty of 1.55 million USD under the Sunshine Act (Open Payments) – the highest to date – totalling over 46 million USD.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Justice / U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts

Area of law

Bribery and corruption · Gifts, hospitality and benefits

Legal basis

Anti-Kickback Statute; False Claims Act; Physician Payments Sunshine Act (Open Payments)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The U.S. Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF) listed the manufacturer of cephalosporin antibiotics because it sources antibiotic intermediates from Yili Chuanning Biotechnology in Xinjiang. The company's goods are therefore presumed to have been produced with forced labour on import into the US unless the importer rebuts this.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force)

Area of law

Supply chain and human rights · Forced and child labour

Legal basis

Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, Section 2(d)(2)(B)(v)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Published

3 Aug 2026

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

Between January 2019 and March 2023, the pharmaceutical manufacturer allegedly paid kickbacks to ambulatory surgery centres to induce them to purchase and use the injectable drug DEXYCU for cataract surgery. To resolve the False Claims Act allegations, EyePoint paid 4,657,463.18 USD and entered into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Justice

Area of law

Bribery and corruption · Commercial bribery

Legal basis

Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)); False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 ff.)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Original amount 4,657,463.18 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 Jul 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

The EPA, the US Department of Justice and West Virginia's environmental agency reached a settlement (consent decree) with Chemours over PFAS discharges into the Cape Fear, Delaware and Ohio rivers, some made without and some in breach of discharge permits, together with TSCA and RCRA violations at four plants. Chemours will pay a civil penalty of 22,500,000 USD in three annual instalments of 7,500,000 USD and carry out remedial measures, including drinking water supply, PFAS controls and a USD 90m mitigation programme, which the EPA puts at over USD 450m in total. The settlement was lodged with the court on 24 June 2026 and is subject to public comment and court approval. The authority allegedly made the findings set out here; this account is not based on a final judgment. The decision is not final.

Authority / court

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) / U.S. Department of Justice mit West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia)

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Emissions and permits

Legal basis

Clean Water Act (NPDES); Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; Toxic Substances Control Act; West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

not yet final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Mitigating circumstances

The civil penalty was set on the basis of the company's ability to pay.

Published

24 Jun 2026

Original amount 22,500,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

The EPA (Region 6) issued a Consent Agreement and Final Order against Denka Performance Elastomer over RCRA violations at its neoprene plant in LaPlace (Louisiana): missing waste determinations, breaches of land disposal restrictions and treatment and storage of hazardous waste without a permit. Denka will pay 996,703.35 USD and must clean out a brine pit and its ancillary equipment; if the currently idle plant resumes operations, further requirements apply, including on waste inventory, containers, training and protective equipment. The authority allegedly made the findings set out here; this account is not based on a final judgment.

Authority / court

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 6

Area of law

Environment and sustainability · Waste and hazardous substances

Legal basis

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Docket RCRA-06-2025-0910

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Repeat case

yes

Published

2 Jul 2026

Original amount 996,703.35 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 Jun 2026.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

From 2014 to 2020, Takeda allegedly selected physicians specifically for its speaker programme for the antidepressant Trintellix and provided them with fees and meals at expensive restaurants to promote prescriptions; some participants attended the same event several times without any educational benefit. Takeda paid 13,670,921 USD.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Justice / U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California

Area of law

Bribery and corruption · Gifts, hospitality and benefits

Legal basis

Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)); False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 ff.)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Employees

10,000 or more

Original amount 13,670,921 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 14 May 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

Following its 2020 guilty plea, the opioid manufacturer was sentenced in Newark to a criminal fine of 3.544 billion USD (asserted in the insolvency proceedings) and forfeiture of 2 billion USD; up to 1.775 billion USD can be credited against the forfeiture if Purdue emerges from insolvency as a public benefit company. Purdue had deceived the DEA and paid kickbacks to prescribers via its speaker programme and to an electronic health records platform in order to increase opioid prescriptions.

Authority / court

U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey (Anklage: U.S. Department of Justice)

Area of law

Bribery and corruption · Gifts, hospitality and benefits

Legal basis

Verschwörung zum Betrug der USA und zur Verletzung des Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; zwei Fälle Verschwörung zur Verletzung des Anti-Kickback Statute (Schuldbekenntnis vom 24.11.2020)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Culpability

intentional

Original amount 5,544,000,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 28 Apr 2026.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In 2016–2021, the Texas supplier of catalysts for refineries and steelworks supplied products and advice to customers in Iran via employees and agents, and sold goods to a blocked Venezuelan company. The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) considered it an egregious but voluntarily self-disclosed case; there were parallel settlements with the DOJ and BIS, which were taken into account in determining the amount.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

Area of law

Sanctions and export control · Breaches of sanctions and embargoes

Legal basis

Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations; Venezuela Sanctions Regulations; IEEPA

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Culpability

intentional

Mitigating circumstances

Voluntary self-disclosure, cooperation and remedial measures after discovery

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not reported here.

Published

16 Jun 2025

Original amount 3,882,797 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 16 Jun 2025.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link

Gilead paid physicians who spoke at or attended events on its HIV medicines fees, meals and travel expenses to promote prescriptions; high prescribers received hundreds of thousands of dollars, and events took place at luxury restaurants. The court-approved settlement of 202 million USD contains extensive admissions of fact.

Authority / court

U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York; U.S. District Court (S.D.N.Y.)

Area of law

Bribery and corruption · Gifts, hospitality and benefits

Legal basis

Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)); False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 ff.)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

29 Apr 2025

Original amount 202,000,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 28 Apr 2025.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

Pfizer pays USD 59,746,277 on behalf of its subsidiary Biohaven to resolve False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute allegations relating to the period before the acquisition; about USD 50.2 million goes to the federal government and about USD 9.5 million to state Medicaid programmes. From March 2020 to September 2022 Biohaven allegedly gave selected doctors speaker fees and meals at expensive restaurants to encourage prescriptions of the migraine drug Nurtec ODT; some events were attended repeatedly by the same doctors or by spouses, relatives and practice colleagues with no educational need.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Justice (Civil Division; USAO Western District of New York)

Area of law

Bribery and corruption · Gifts, hospitality and benefits

Legal basis

False Claims Act; Anti-Kickback Statute

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

24 Jan 2025

Original amount 59,746,277 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Jan 2025.

Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In July 2024, nitrogen dioxide above the exposure limit was released during chemical processing at the plant of Zep subsidiary AFCO in Chambersburg (Pennsylvania); twelve employees were examined in hospital and two were admitted. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) criticised the lack of an emergency action plan, deficient respiratory protection and hazard communication programmes and a delayed evacuation, and proposed $161,310 (including one repeat violation).

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Labor – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Area of law

Health and safety and employment law · Workplace safety and accidents

Legal basis

29 CFR 1910.120, 1910.134, 1910.1200

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Repeat case

yes

Published

14 Jan 2025

Original amount 161,310 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 14 Jan 2025.

Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link

In 2017–2018, the Thai plastics company had US banks process 467 payments totalling 291 million USD for HDPE plastic produced in an Iranian joint venture with the Iranian state-owned petrochemical group. Shipping and documentation practices concealed the Iranian origin. The penalty was imposed by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Authority / court

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

Area of law

Sanctions and export control · Breaches of sanctions and embargoes

Legal basis

Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (31 C.F.R. part 560)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Culpability

intentional

Published

19 Apr 2024

Original amount 20,000,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 19 Apr 2024.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 19 Apr 2026 · Direct link

From February 2020 to March 2023, the unlisted cleantech company (around 236 employees) had 22 departing employees waive awards for reports to authorities. After contact by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company amended the agreements and informed those affected; the penalty amounted to 225,000 US dollars.

Authority / court

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Area of law

Whistleblower protection · Retaliation against whistleblowers

Legal basis

Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Rule 21F-17(a)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

final

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Employees

50 to 249

Mitigating circumstances

Revision of the separation agreements and information provided to the former employees affected

Published

8 Sep 2023

Original amount 225,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 Sep 2023.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 8 Sep 2025 · Direct link

In a Deferred Prosecution Agreement, the manufacturer admitted to three conspiracies involving price fixing, customer allocation and bid rigging for generic drugs (including pravastatin). The manufacturer is paying a criminal penalty of 225 million USD in instalments, donating medicines worth 50 million USD and must divest its pravastatin business under the supervision of a monitor.

Authority / court

U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division

Area of law

Competition law · Cartels and collusion

Legal basis

15 U.S.C. § 1 (Sherman Act)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Employees

10,000 or more

Original amount 225,000,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Aug 2023.

Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 21 Aug 2025 · Direct link