STAT+: Probe of AstraZeneca executive in China raises questions about company's tactics

The U.K. pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has become the largest multinational drugmaker in China, drawing 13% of its $5.8 billion in revenue last year from there, against a backdrop of an acute economic slowdown in the country and a major anti-corruption campaign aimed at the health care industry.

Now, the question is whether AstraZeneca became overly aggressive in its ambitions.

Last week, the company disclosed that Leon Wang, its executive vice president for international operations and the president of its subsidiary in China, was under investigation by authorities. The nature of the investigation was not clear, but the announcement followed the recent detention of Eva Yin, a former AstraZeneca executive who is currently chief commercial officer for Beigene, another drug developer in China.

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