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AstraZeneca’s former head of its China business has been formally charged by the country’s authorities with illegal trading, unlawful collection of personal information and medical insurance fraud, alongside another former employee.
Leon Wang, who has been in detention since 2024, was the drugmaker’s most senior executive in China for a decade until his arrest. AstraZeneca said in its results update this week that an unnamed “former [executive vice-president] and one former senior employee” had been charged. It later confirmed to the FT that the executive mentioned was Wang.
AstraZeneca said the two former employees would be tried at a court in Shenzhen but that a trial date had not been set.
The company’s China subsidiary was also charged with unlawful collection of personal information and illegal trading, although AstraZeneca said there was no allegation it had benefited from “illegal gain” linked to the data collection. The group was not charged with medical insurance fraud.
The charges of illegal trading relate to a probe of the alleged unauthorised importation and sale of cancer drug Imjudo. The drug, which is used to treat advanced cancers, including a type of liver cancer, has been approved elsewhere in the world but not in China.
Separately, AstraZeneca has said that it paid $3.5mn in import taxes to Chinese customs authorities in October to resolve a probe related to the importation of cancer treatments Imfinzi, Imjudo and Enhertu. The company could still be liable for a fine of up to $17.5mn, it added.
AstraZeneca has tried to limit the fallout in China with promises of substantial investment in manufacturing and research and development in the country.
Chief executive Pascal Soriot has made regular visits to Beijing over the past year, including several high-profile meetings with senior Chinese officials to announce major investments.
As China boss, Wang spearheaded a localisation strategy, expanding sales teams and helping to drive up drug sales, particularly for cancer drugs.
Following his arrest, AstraZeneca appointed long-standing executive Iskra Reic, who previously worked in Europe, to oversee the Shanghai office.
