Mark Reilly

Chinese authorities have released the jailed American wife and business partner of a British investigator linked to a corruption case involving pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a family friend said today.

China fined GlaxoSmithKline Plc a record 3 billion yuan ($490 million) on Friday for paying bribes to doctors to use its drugs, underlining the risks of doing business there while also ending a damaging chapter for the British drug maker.

Mark Reilly, former head of China operations, and two other executives, Zhang Guowei and Zhao Hongyan, were also suspected of bribing officials in the industry and commerce departments of Beijing and Shanghai, Xinhua said.

Mr Gisserot will take over as general manager from Mark Reilly, who will remain with the drugmaker as a senior member of the management team, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Chinese authorities have released the jailed American wife and business partner of a British investigator linked to a corruption case involving pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a family friend said today.

China fined GlaxoSmithKline Plc a record 3 billion yuan ($490 million) on Friday for paying bribes to doctors to use its drugs, underlining the risks of doing business there while also ending a damaging chapter for the British drug maker.

Mark Reilly, former head of China operations, and two other executives, Zhang Guowei and Zhao Hongyan, were also suspected of bribing officials in the industry and commerce departments of Beijing and Shanghai, Xinhua said.

Mr Gisserot will take over as general manager from Mark Reilly, who will remain with the drugmaker as a senior member of the management team, a spokesman said on Thursday.