China Summons AstraZeneca Over Probe in Altered Test Results

(Bloomberg) -- Chinese officials summoned AstraZeneca Plc executives in their investigation into alleged tampering by company employees of tumor patients' gene-testing results to fraudulently claim reimbursement from national healthcare insurance funds. 

Police, health and market regulators in China have joined the probe and have arrested those suspected of the infraction, the National Healthcare Security Administration, which oversees the country's state-run medical insurance, said in a statement on its website Saturday, without providing further details.

The health regulator and China's Department of Public Security summoned AstraZeneca's China executives over the investigation and asked the company to assist in subsequent probes, and to close loopholes in overseeing marketing activities, according to the statement.

AstraZeneca said in a statement dated Jan. 28 that some of its employees in China's southern city of Shenzhen were suspected of being involved in changing patients' testing results, in what it calls “allegedly fraudulent claims for reimbursement.”

AstraZeneca China took “‘serious disciplinary action” against the employees for violating company policy and reported the offenses to authorities, according to the statement.

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With assistance from Bloomberg