Chinese police have detained five current and former employees of AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical giant, in a probe for possible breaches in data privacy and for importing unlicensed medications.&nbsp;

AstraZeneca is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company.

The police detained these individuals earlier this summer and targeted Chinese citizens who marketed cancer drugs for the oncology division of AstraZeneca, Bloomberg reported.&nbsp;

The Chinese police are probing whether the pharmaceutical company's employees were involved in importing a drug, meant to treat liver cancer, which had not been approved for distribution across mainland China.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/astrazeneca-withdraws-its-covid-vaccine-citing-commercial-reasons-719140">Also read:&nbsp;AstraZeneca withdraws its Covid vaccine citing commercial reasons</a>

The police in the Shenzhen region are leading the investigation and are assessing the way the company gathered patient data, and whether that may have broken China's privacy laws.&nbsp;

"We are aware a small number of our employees in China are under investigation and we have no further information to share at this point," AstraZeneca said in a statement.&nbsp;

"We have no further information to share at this point," the statement added.

Watch |&nbsp;AstraZeneca withdraws Covid-19 vaccines | Brazil floods leave 150,000 homeless

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/astrazeneca-withdraws-covid-19-vaccines-brazil-floods-leave-150000-homeless-719190/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

China, is a key market for AstraZeneca, which is the developer of a Covid vaccine widely administered globally during the pandemic.&nbsp;

The pharmaceutical company has about 16,000 employees in China, which makes up about 13 per cent of the company's revenues.&nbsp;

Earlier, the firm targeted Chinese biotech firms for acquisitions and discussed strategies for growth in the country.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Chinese police have detained five current and former employees of AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical giant, in a probe for possible breaches in data privacy and for importing unlicensed medications.

Chinese police have detained five current and former employees of AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical giant, in a probe for possible breaches in data privacy and for importing unlicensed medications. AstraZeneca is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company. The police detained these individuals earlier this summer and targeted Chinese citizens who marketed cancer drugs for the oncology division of AstraZeneca, Bloomberg reported. The Chinese police are probing whether the pharmaceutical company's employees were involved in importing a drug, meant to treat liver cancer, which had not been approved for distribution across mainland China. Also read: AstraZeneca withdraws its Covid vaccine citing commercial reasons The police in the Shenzhen region are leading the investigation and are assessing the way the company gathered patient data, and whether that may have broken China's privacy laws. "We are aware a small number of our employees in China are under investigation and we have no further information to share at this point," AstraZeneca said in a statement. "We have no further information to share at this point," the statement added. Watch | AstraZeneca withdraws Covid-19 vaccines | Brazil floods leave 150,000 homeless × China, is a key market for AstraZeneca, which is the developer of a Covid vaccine widely administered globally during the pandemic. The pharmaceutical company has about 16,000 employees in China, which makes up about 13 per cent of the company's revenues. Earlier, the firm targeted Chinese biotech firms for acquisitions and discussed strategies for growth in the country. (With inputs from agencies)

China detains five AstraZeneca staff for breaching 'data privacy', importing unlicensed drugs

A company director and three workers were among four killed on Wednesday (Apr 3) after a reactor at a pharmaceutical company's plant in the Sangareddy district in the Indian state of&nbsp;Telangana&nbsp;exploded. Local reports mentioned that around 10 people suffered third-degree burns and several others are feared trapped under the rubble.&nbsp;

Authorities said that the blast occurred around 5:00 pm (IST) at the factory of SB Organics Ltd, which is located at Chandapur village of Hathnoora mandal of the district. The plant is located about 40 kilometres from Hyderabad International airport.&nbsp;

The blast triggered a fire, which spread through the pharma unit's premises. The officials said that the fire was later brought under control.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/man-slits-his-throat-in-front-of-chief-justice-in-karnataka-high-court-707401">Man slits his throat in front of Chief Justice in Karnataka High Court</a>&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
STORY | Four killed, over 10 injured in explosion at pharma plant in Telangana 
 
READ: <a href="https://t.co/CR6org5msH">https://t.co/CR6org5msH</a> 
 
VIDEO: 
 
(Full video available on PTI Videos - <a href="https://t.co/n147TvqRQz">https://t.co/n147TvqRQz</a>) <a href="https://t.co/n9t3oOV45S">pic.twitter.com/n9t3oOV45S</a>
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) <a href="https://twitter.com/PTI_News/status/1775530372349960471?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-kerala-couple-friend-found-dead-in-arunachal-pradesh-hotel-room-black-magic-suspected-707278">Kerala couple, friend found dead in Arunachal Pradesh hotel room amid black magic suspicion</a>&nbsp;

"The reactor exploded at the pharma company and people around it were thrown away in its impact... So far four people have died...10-15 people sustained injuries. They have been shifted to a hospital and are undergoing treatment," a senior police official said.&nbsp;Local authorities also said that 16 others who suffered injuries in the incident have been shifted to various hospitals for treatment.&nbsp;

According to the officials, the condition of two persons among the injured is critical and they have been referred to a hospital in Hyderabad.&nbsp;

The cause of the explosion is under investigation.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A company director and three workers were among four killed on Wednesday (Apr 3) after a reactor at a pharmaceutical company's plant in the Sangareddy district in the Indian state of Telangana exploded.

A company director and three workers were among four killed on Wednesday (Apr 3) after a reactor at a pharmaceutical company's plant in the Sangareddy district in the Indian state of Telangana exploded. Local reports mentioned that around 10 people suffered third-degree burns and several others are feared trapped under the rubble. Authorities said that the blast occurred around 5:00 pm (IST) at the factory of SB Organics Ltd, which is located at Chandapur village of Hathnoora mandal of the district. The plant is located about 40 kilometres from Hyderabad International airport. The blast triggered a fire, which spread through the pharma unit's premises. The officials said that the fire was later brought under control. Also read: Man slits his throat in front of Chief Justice in Karnataka High Court STORY | Four killed, over 10 injured in explosion at pharma plant in Telangana READ: https://t.co/CR6org5msH VIDEO: (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/n9t3oOV45S — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 3, 2024 × Also read: Kerala couple, friend found dead in Arunachal Pradesh hotel room amid black magic suspicion "The reactor exploded at the pharma company and people around it were thrown away in its impact... So far four people have died...10-15 people sustained injuries. They have been shifted to a hospital and are undergoing treatment," a senior police official said. Local authorities also said that 16 others who suffered injuries in the incident have been shifted to various hospitals for treatment. According to the officials, the condition of two persons among the injured is critical and they have been referred to a hospital in Hyderabad. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. (With inputs from agencies)

Telangana: Explosion at pharma factory in Sangareddy kills four, several feared trapped under rubble

The Indian manufacturer of cough syrups that Uzbekistan said last year had poisoned 19 children had used a toxic industrial-grade ingredient rather than the legitimate pharmaceutical version, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The company, Marion Biotech, bought the ingredient — propylene glycol (PG) — from trader Maya Chemtech India, as reported by Reuters. But Maya did not have a licence to sell pharmaceutical-grade materials and "dealt in industrial-grade only," according to a source at the firm with knowledge of the Marion investigation.

"We did not know Marion was going to use it to make cough syrups," said the person, who declined to be identified while the case is investigated. "We are not told where our material is used."

The two sources said the syrup was made with industrial-grade PG, a toxic material widely used in liquid detergents, antifreeze, paints or coatings, and to enhance the effectiveness of pesticides.

"Marion bought commercial-grade propylene glycol," said a second source, an investigator, who declined to be named while the inquiry is ongoing.

"They were supposed to take Indian Pharmacopoeia-grade," the source added, referring to national standards for the composition of pharmaceutical products.

Marion also did not test the ingredient before using it in the syrups it sold to Uzbekistan, the investigator said.

India's drugs and cosmetics rules say manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety of the ingredients they use.

Maya is not facing charges, according to the company source, but the investigation is ongoing. Deepak Sharma, an Assistant Drugs Controller for the national capital territory of Delhi, where Maya is based, declined to comment, saying the case was being investigated by federal drugs authorities.

Marion, which says it deals in pharmaceuticals, herbal and cosmetics products, previously denied any wrongdoing. Neither the company nor India's drug regulator or health ministry responded to requests for comment.

An analysis last year by Uzbekistan's health ministry showed the Marion-made cough syrups, Ambronol and DOK-1 Max, contained unacceptable amounts of toxins diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG), used in products that are not for human consumption.

Uzbekistan in January arrested four people in relation to the 19 deaths, including two executives at a company that imported the Marion drugs. Reuters could not establish the status of the case.

Uzbekistan's health ministry did not respond to a question on possible penalties there.

<h2>'Spurious and adulterated'</h2>

DEG and EG have been used by unscrupulous actors as a substitute for propylene glycol because they are cheaper, according to pharmaceutical manufacturing experts.

The World Health Organization told Reuters earlier this month its working theory is that in 2021, when prices of propylene glycol spiked, one or more suppliers mixed the cheaper toxic liquids with the legitimate chemical.

Asked to comment on the ingredients used by Marion, a WHO spokesperson said, "It is important that product manufacturers only use appropriately qualified suppliers."

Tests in January by an Indian government laboratory found 22 samples of Marion-made syrups were "adulterated and spurious," the country's drug controller said in March.

Authorities in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where Marion is based, cancelled Marion's licence in March. Police arrested three of its employees and issued warrants for the arrest of two directors. The three employees have since been released on bail, said Uttar Pradesh police officer Vijay Kumar.

One of them, operations head Tuhin Bhattacharya, said he had stopped working for Marion, which Reuters could not verify. Reuters could not contact the other two, chemists Mool Singh and Atul Rawat, or their lawyers.

A lawyer for the two Marion directors told the state's Allahabad High Court in April that the drugs had been found "not of standard quality" but not adulterated, adding that the directors had not committed any offence in India as the drugs were meant exclusively for export, according to a court order seen by Reuters.

The court barred police from arresting the directors, Jaya Jain and Sachin Jain unless they had been convicted. Their lawyer, Rohan Gupta, did not respond; Reuters could not reach the directors.

India's drug regulator ordered the country's drugmakers not to buy PG from Maya in March, Reuters has reported.

<h2>Standards</h2>

Besides the deaths in Uzbekistan, at least 70 children died in Gambia last year after taking cough syrups made by another company in India that were found to be contaminated with the toxins, and tainted cough syrups made in Indonesia were linked to the deaths of more than 200 children there.

The deaths prompted an international inquiry into the pharmaceutical supply chain.

International standards allow only trace amounts of EG and DEG in pharmaceutical-grade propylene glycol. Limits for the industrial or commercial grade version are not as stringent, because they are not supposed to be ingested by humans.

The toxins were found in cough syrups exported to Gambia by the other Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals. The WHO linked these syrups to the children's deaths; Maiden has denied any wrongdoing.

Gambia told India's drug regulator in June that from July 1 it would make it mandatory for all pharmaceutical products from India to be inspected and tested in India, at the cost of the Indian exporter, prior to shipment -- the first known restrictions on national exports following the deaths linked to Indian-made syrups.

India made it mandatory for companies to have their cough syrups tested before export in June.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

The Indian manufacturer of cough syrups that Uzbekistan said last year had poisoned 19 children had used a toxic industrial-grade ingredient rather than the legitimate pharmaceutical version, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The Indian manufacturer of cough syrups that Uzbekistan said last year had poisoned 19 children had used a toxic industrial-grade ingredient rather than the legitimate pharmaceutical version, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The company, Marion Biotech, bought the ingredient — propylene glycol (PG) — from trader Maya Chemtech India, as reported by Reuters. But Maya did not have a licence to sell pharmaceutical-grade materials and "dealt in industrial-grade only," according to a source at the firm with knowledge of the Marion investigation. "We did not know Marion was going to use it to make cough syrups," said the person, who declined to be identified while the case is investigated. "We are not told where our material is used." The two sources said the syrup was made with industrial-grade PG, a toxic material widely used in liquid detergents, antifreeze, paints or coatings, and to enhance the effectiveness of pesticides. "Marion bought commercial-grade propylene glycol," said a second source, an investigator, who declined to be named while the inquiry is ongoing. "They were supposed to take Indian Pharmacopoeia-grade," the source added, referring to national standards for the composition of pharmaceutical products. Marion also did not test the ingredient before using it in the syrups it sold to Uzbekistan, the investigator said. India's drugs and cosmetics rules say manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety of the ingredients they use. Maya is not facing charges, according to the company source, but the investigation is ongoing. Deepak Sharma, an Assistant Drugs Controller for the national capital territory of Delhi, where Maya is based, declined to comment, saying the case was being investigated by federal drugs authorities. Marion, which says it deals in pharmaceuticals, herbal and cosmetics products, previously denied any wrongdoing. Neither the company nor India's drug regulator or health ministry responded to requests for comment. An analysis last year by Uzbekistan's health ministry showed the Marion-made cough syrups, Ambronol and DOK-1 Max, contained unacceptable amounts of toxins diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG), used in products that are not for human consumption. Uzbekistan in January arrested four people in relation to the 19 deaths, including two executives at a company that imported the Marion drugs. Reuters could not establish the status of the case. Uzbekistan's health ministry did not respond to a question on possible penalties there. 'Spurious and adulterated' DEG and EG have been used by unscrupulous actors as a substitute for propylene glycol because they are cheaper, according to pharmaceutical manufacturing experts. The World Health Organization told Reuters earlier this month its working theory is that in 2021, when prices of propylene glycol spiked, one or more suppliers mixed the cheaper toxic liquids with the legitimate chemical. Asked to comment on the ingredients used by Marion, a WHO spokesperson said, "It is important that product manufacturers only use appropriately qualified suppliers." Tests in January by an Indian government laboratory found 22 samples of Marion-made syrups were "adulterated and spurious," the country's drug controller said in March. Authorities in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where Marion is based, cancelled Marion's licence in March. Police arrested three of its employees and issued warrants for the arrest of two directors. The three employees have since been released on bail, said Uttar Pradesh police officer Vijay Kumar. One of them, operations head Tuhin Bhattacharya, said he had stopped working for Marion, which Reuters could not verify. Reuters could not contact the other two, chemists Mool Singh and Atul Rawat, or their lawyers. A lawyer for the two Marion directors told the state's Allahabad High Court in April that the drugs had been found "not of standard quality" but not adulterated, adding that the directors had not committed any offence in India as the drugs were meant exclusively for export, according to a court order seen by Reuters. The court barred police from arresting the directors, Jaya Jain and Sachin Jain unless they had been convicted. Their lawyer, Rohan Gupta, did not respond; Reuters could not reach the directors. India's drug regulator ordered the country's drugmakers not to buy PG from Maya in March, Reuters has reported. Standards Besides the deaths in Uzbekistan, at least 70 children died in Gambia last year after taking cough syrups made by another company in India that were found to be contaminated with the toxins, and tainted cough syrups made in Indonesia were linked to the deaths of more than 200 children there. The deaths prompted an international inquiry into the pharmaceutical supply chain. International standards allow only trace amounts of EG and DEG in pharmaceutical-grade propylene glycol. Limits for the industrial or commercial grade version are not as stringent, because they are not supposed to be ingested by humans. The toxins were found in cough syrups exported to Gambia by the other Indian company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals. The WHO linked these syrups to the children's deaths; Maiden has denied any wrongdoing. Gambia told India's drug regulator in June that from July 1 it would make it mandatory for all pharmaceutical products from India to be inspected and tested in India, at the cost of the Indian exporter, prior to shipment -- the first known restrictions on national exports following the deaths linked to Indian-made syrups. India made it mandatory for companies to have their cough syrups tested before export in June. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Indian pharmaceutical firm used toxic industrial-grade ingredient in syrup: Sources

The World Health Organisation has issued an alert against four India-made cold and cough syrups that have been "potentially linked" with acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children in the African country Gambia.

WHO labels four cough syrups as 'substandard products; Indian pharmaceutical company in the dock?

At least 11 people died and 800 have been hospitalized after a chemical gas leakage inside a pharmaceutical company at RR Venkatapuram village in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam on Thursday (May 7).

11 dead, 800 hospitalized after styrene gas leak in Vizag | Visakhapatnam

Novo&nbsp;Nordisk&nbsp;posted third-quarter operating profit a touch below expectations on Friday on weak insulin&nbsp;sales&nbsp;and impairments but nudged&nbsp;up&nbsp;its&nbsp;sales&nbsp;outlook&nbsp;on hopes for&nbsp;new&nbsp;type 2 diabetes and obesity&nbsp;drugs.

Novo&nbsp;now sees&nbsp;2019&nbsp;sales&nbsp;growth at 5-6 per cent&nbsp;versus 4-6 per cent&nbsp;previously, and held its forecast for operating profit growth at 4-6 per cent, both in local currency terms. It said operating profit rose 9 per cent&nbsp;in the last quarter, slightly below analysts' forecasts.

Shares in the healthcare group&nbsp;traded&nbsp;up&nbsp;1.6 per cent&nbsp;at 0923 GMT, outperforming a 0.3 per cent&nbsp;rise in the broader European STOXX 600 index and a 1.4 per cent&nbsp;increase in Copenhagen's main index.&nbsp;

The world's largest maker of diabetes&nbsp;drugs&nbsp;is betting on&nbsp;new&nbsp;treatments, including a first-of-its-kind tablet, to offset pricing pressure from competing insulins and US&nbsp;lawmakers, who have been critical of rising drug costs.

Sales&nbsp;of its&nbsp;new&nbsp;once-weekly injectable treatment, branded Ozempic, reached 6,872 million Danish crowns&nbsp;for the first nine months, attaining blockbuster status.

Ozempic's third-quarter&nbsp;sales&nbsp;came in 11&nbsp;stronger than expected, said Jefferies analysts.

The&nbsp;new&nbsp;drug is a competitor of Eli Lilly's Trulicity. Both&nbsp;drugs&nbsp;belong to the GLP-1 drug class, which imitate an intestinal hormone that stimulates the production of insulin.

These&nbsp;drugs&nbsp;are more expensive but make&nbsp;up&nbsp;a growing share of the diabetes market, as they have proved effective in reducing diabetes patients' blood glucose levels and weight.

"We believe we have the better product both in terms of glucose-lowering, weight (reduction) and the cardiovascular safety profile," said chief financial officer Karsten Munk Knudsen, referring to clinical trials.

"Our&nbsp;sales&nbsp;reps have what they need to go into the market and compete vis-a-vis with Trulicity," he said, adding that&nbsp;Novo&nbsp;is taking market share from Eli Lilly in the GLP-1 market.

Competition in the GLP-1 space is set to further increase as&nbsp;Novo&nbsp;recently won approval for its once-daily oral pill Rybelsus, which is aimed at patients with an aversion to needles used to deliver other diabetes treatments.

Third-quarter Trulicity&nbsp;sales&nbsp;fell short of Wall Street expectations with some analysts suggesting they were likely hurt by Lilly's efforts to defend its market share against the&nbsp;upcoming launch of Rybelsus.

Novo's third-quarter operating profit came in at 12.9 billion Danish crowns, slightly below the 13.1 billion forecast in a Refinitiv poll partly due to higher impairment charges.

Depreciation, amortisation and impairment losses this year are now seen 1 billion crowns higher than previously anticipated,&nbsp;Novo&nbsp;said.

Sales&nbsp;of&nbsp;Novo's GLP-1&nbsp;drugs&nbsp;grew 28 per cent, while total insulin&nbsp;sales&nbsp;fell 1 per cent.

Novo Nordisk posted third-quarter operating profit a touch below expectations on Friday on weak insulin sales and impairments but nudged up its sales outlook on hopes for new type 2 diabetes and obesity drugs.

Novo Nordisk posted third-quarter operating profit a touch below expectations on Friday on weak insulin sales and impairments but nudged up its sales outlook on hopes for new type 2 diabetes and obesity drugs. Novo now sees 2019 sales growth at 5-6 per cent versus 4-6 per cent previously, and held its forecast for operating profit growth at 4-6 per cent, both in local currency terms. It said operating profit rose 9 per cent in the last quarter, slightly below analysts' forecasts. Shares in the healthcare group traded up 1.6 per cent at 0923 GMT, outperforming a 0.3 per cent rise in the broader European STOXX 600 index and a 1.4 per cent increase in Copenhagen's main index. The world's largest maker of diabetes drugs is betting on new treatments, including a first-of-its-kind tablet, to offset pricing pressure from competing insulins and US lawmakers, who have been critical of rising drug costs. Sales of its new once-weekly injectable treatment, branded Ozempic, reached 6,872 million Danish crowns for the first nine months, attaining blockbuster status. Ozempic's third-quarter sales came in 11 stronger than expected, said Jefferies analysts. The new drug is a competitor of Eli Lilly's Trulicity. Both drugs belong to the GLP-1 drug class, which imitate an intestinal hormone that stimulates the production of insulin. These drugs are more expensive but make up a growing share of the diabetes market, as they have proved effective in reducing diabetes patients' blood glucose levels and weight. "We believe we have the better product both in terms of glucose-lowering, weight (reduction) and the cardiovascular safety profile," said chief financial officer Karsten Munk Knudsen, referring to clinical trials. "Our sales reps have what they need to go into the market and compete vis-a-vis with Trulicity," he said, adding that Novo is taking market share from Eli Lilly in the GLP-1 market. Competition in the GLP-1 space is set to further increase as Novo recently won approval for its once-daily oral pill Rybelsus, which is aimed at patients with an aversion to needles used to deliver other diabetes treatments. Third-quarter Trulicity sales fell short of Wall Street expectations with some analysts suggesting they were likely hurt by Lilly's efforts to defend its market share against the upcoming launch of Rybelsus. Novo's third-quarter operating profit came in at 12.9 billion Danish crowns, slightly below the 13.1 billion forecast in a Refinitiv poll partly due to higher impairment charges. Depreciation, amortisation and impairment losses this year are now seen 1 billion crowns higher than previously anticipated, Novo said. Sales of Novo's GLP-1 drugs grew 28 per cent, while total insulin sales fell 1 per cent.

Novo Nordisk nudges up 2019 sales outlook as new drugs excel

pharmaceutical-company

Pharmaceutical Company, News on Pharmaceutical Company, stories on Pharmaceutical Company, articles on Pharmaceutical Company, Pharmaceutical Company stories at Wion, Pharmaceutical Company news, Pharmaceutical Company latest news