The Swiss pharmaceutical company Hoffmann-La Roche received a dubious honor today, making the short list for the Public Eye Award 2010, an award that is handed out each year to the multinational corporation with the worst ethics. The award is cosponsored by the Berne Declaration and Greenpeace, and will be announced in late January, just before the opening of this year's World Economic Forum in Davos. Despite tough competition, La Roche seems set to "win" in the category of inhumane global business practices.

According to data reviewed by Public Eye Award sponsors, Hoffman-La Roche conducted clinical trials last year on a new drug, Cellept, that suppresses the immune system of recipients of organ transplants in order to lower the risks of organ rejection. To be sure, this has the potential to be a life-saving drug. The problem is these test were conducted on 300 organ transplant recipients inside China. Since even the Chinese government admits that the vast majority of organs for transplants in China come from executed prisoners, to conduct a clinical trial on organ transplants of this scale inside China is morally reprehensible. You can learn more about the harvesting of organs from executed prisoners in China here.The clinical trial could have easily been conducted in Europe, the US, or some other region with a better-regulated organ donation system, but it appears that Hoffman-La Roche chose instead to compromise their integrity in order to save money. This certainly justifies their status on the shortlist for the Public Eye Award 2010, and may very well be enough for Hoffmann-La Roche to take home the prize.

Click here to read the original German article announcing this news.