Compliance officers in the pharmaceutical industry have a few new clues to consider from a top voice at the Securities and Exchange Commission about violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and how to avoid them.

In remarks at a recent pharmaceutical industry conference, SEC Director of Enforcement Andrew Ceresney described FCPA enforcement in the pharma sector as a high priority. “Our FCPA focus obviously covers many industries,” Ceresney said. “But the pharma industry is one on which we have been particularly focused in recent years.”

Jaclyn Jaeger is a freelance contributor to Compliance Week after working for the company for 15 years. She writes on a wide variety of topics, including ethics and compliance, risk management, legal,...