BEIJING, OCT 31 – The Chinese head of multinational pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is being investigated in the country, the company said.
“The president of AstraZeneca China, Leon Wang is cooperating with the ongoing investigation by the Chinese authorities,” the company said in a statement today.
“China operations continue under the leadership of the current General Manager of AstraZeneca China,” he said, adding, “If requested, AstraZeneca will cooperate fully with the investigation.”
China is a key market for AstraZeneca, the developer of a Covid-19 drug widely administered around the world during the coronavirus outbreak.
Last September, the company confirmed several employees were being investigated in China after reports said they were being questioned about potentially illegal data collection and drug imports.
The investigation involves five current and former employees of the company – all of whom are Chinese nationals – and is being led by authorities in the southern city of Shenzhen, it said. Bloomberg.
An investigation into the company’s collection of patient data, which authorities suspect may have violated China’s privacy laws, has been reported Bloombergciting people familiar with the situation.
Another investigation related to the import of unapproved liver cancer drugs in mainland China, according to Bloomberg.
The company, which is headquartered in the United Kingdom, has 90,000 employees worldwide. – AFP
