AstraZeneca Appoints New China Chief After Detained Executive

AstraZeneca has named Iskra Reic as its new head of China operations, replacing Leon Wang, who is under investigation and currently detained by Chinese authorities, Juliana Liu and Anna Cooban reported for CNN.

Reic is a company veteran who played a key role in developing AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine. I Photo: myTomorrows

Reic, a company veteran who played a key role in developing AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, will take over Wang’s responsibilities while continuing to lead the firm’s vaccines and immune therapies unit.

She will relocate to Shanghai to oversee the expanded role.

The leadership shift follows investor unease since AstraZeneca disclosed Wang’s detention in October. The case has drawn comparisons to a 2014 bribery scandal involving GlaxoSmithKline, which paid a record $489 million fine in China.

Wang’s detention is part of a growing trend of high-profile executives disappearing into China's opaque judicial system. For instance, Bao Fan, a prominent investment banker, vanished in February 2023 and remains uncharged nearly two years later.