Sales in China fell 3 per cent during the quarter. AstraZeneca said this was mainly because the winter had been mild, causing a drop in sales of respiratory drugs used to treat viral infections. It also cited annual budget caps at Chinese hospitals.

AstraZeneca on Thursday said it could face a fine of up to $4.5 million in China over suspected unpaid import taxes, raising investor hopes that the impact of several probes in the country could be minor and leading its shares to rise about 5%.