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AstraZeneca has said a “small number” of its employees are under investigation in China.
The confirmation came after Bloomberg reported on Thursday that police were investigating five current and former AstraZeneca employees over infringement of data privacy laws and importing an unlicensed medicine.
The drugmaker did not provide any further information.
According to Bloomberg, the employees are Chinese citizens who marketed cancer drugs for AstraZeneca and are being investigated over the collection of patient data and the distribution of a drug that had not been approved.
The company has a large presence in China and has invested in developing independent supply chains in the country. It reported $5.9bn of revenue from China in 2023, which was 13 per cent of total sales.