LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Chinese police have detained five current and former employees of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZN) for questioning regarding potential illegal activities, according to Bloomberg News.
In response, AstraZeneca issued a statement saying, 'We are aware that a small number of our employees in China are under investigation, but we have no further information to share at this time.'
The individuals detained are all Chinese citizens who worked in AstraZeneca's oncology division, where they marketed cancer drugs, Bloomberg reported.
One of the investigations reportedly involves AstraZeneca's collection of patient data and whether it violated China's data privacy laws.
Authorities are also investigating the alleged involvement of some individuals in importing the liver cancer drug Imjudo, which had not yet been approved for distribution in China, the report added.
This incident occurs in the context of a broader anti-corruption campaign by the Chinese government, which has intensified over the past year. Authorities are focusing on curbing kickbacks and the misuse of public funds within the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.
AstraZeneca employs around 16,000 people in China, which accounts for 13% of the company's revenue-about $6 billion out of a total $44 billion.
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