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Several AstraZeneca employees are under investigation in China for allegedly breaking the law.
The British pharmaceutical giant said five current and former employees were being questioned.
Bloomberg reported that police were investigating the collection of patient data and the import of unlicensed drugs, including a cancer treatment.
Astra said: “We are aware that a small number of our employees in China are under investigation and we have no further information to share at this time.”
The company has been operating in China since 1993 and last year had a turnover of around £4.5bn in the country, 13 per cent of total sales. Beijing is currently cracking down on drug trafficking.
Investigation: Several AstraZeneca employees are under investigation in China for alleged violation of the law
But the investigation is a blow to the FTSE 100 group, which has enjoyed huge success in recent months.
Shares have risen by almost a fifth this year thanks to its blockbuster cancer drug, Imfinzi, and a raft of new pills.
Last month it became the first UK company to be valued at more than £200bn, alongside Shell, which reached £161bn. Only two others are worth more than £100bn: Unilever (£124bn) and HSBC (£121bn).
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