GlaxoSmithKline said approval of Cervarix will be delayed in the US after FDA regulators requested more information on the vaccine in a "complete response letter" to the drugmaker.

David Epstein, president of Novartis Oncology, said he hopes the drug maker will be able to start selling four new cancer treatments by the year 2011.

MM&M's New Drug Dossier is designed to give pharmaceutical marketers authoritative promotional and clinical insights on the latest new molecular entities in one online resource.

Positive results of a study involving Amylin's long-acting release (LAR) version of Byetta (exenatide) were the highlight of the company's R&D day in New York yesterday.

Newly discovered liver safety problems with high doses of Novartis' diabetes treatment Galvus are expected to delay the European launch of the drug and have raised questions about whether the FDA will back its approval here in the US.

A Pfizer analysis released this week brought new hope to a class of drugs designed to clear arteries by boosting the protective form of cholesterol. The findings could help firms like Roche and Merck determine whether to continue developing similar agents.

Clinical trials of a much-anticipated compound from Eli Lilly brought mixed results, causing analysts to further cool on the drug.

Global pharmaceutical sales will slow in 2008, growing 5%-6% compared to 6%-7% in 2007, as the recent wave of patent expirations continues, according to an IMS Health forecast.

The FDA recommended that Takeda halt high-dose clinical studies of its TAK-475 cholesterol drug due to possible liver side effects, asking for additional data on the drug.

Eli Lilly said it is suspending two small studies of its most promising pipeline candidate, the blood-thinner prasugrel, after data raised concerns about the dosage used in certain patient groups.