The five include two former GlaxoSmithKline researchers.
The charges were announced by the US Attorney's Office in Philadelphia late on Wednesday.
It lists charges of conspiracy to steal trade secrets, theft of trade secrets, and wire fraud.
The
stolen information, which contained details of drugs for cancer and
other serious diseases "potentially could be sold for millions of
dollars to rival pharmaceutical companies".
The documents said the information would also be useful for a start-up pharmaceutical company.
The
alleged conspirators established three corporations in China, all under
the name Renopharma, to sell the stolen information, the complaint
said.
The documents filed say the intention was to use that to reproduce Glaxo products and drugs in development.
One
of the five, Yu Xue, was a senior-level manager and biotechnology
expert at a Glaxo research facility in Pennsylvania with access to a
wide array of secret information.
She was fired earlier this month.
Her lawyer said she denied the charges and would contest them "vigorously in court".
The
others named were Tian Xue, Yu Xue's twin sister, Lucy Xi, a Glaxo
scientist who left the company in November, Tao Li, and Yan Mei.
GSK
said in a statement that it did not believe the breach has had any
material impact on the company's business or R&D activity.
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