Pfizer won’t be allowed to present new data on its closely watched developmental drug torcetrapib at the annual American Heart Association (AHA) meeting this week. The AHA said Pfizer broke the organization’s rules of discussing results ahead of their presentation. Torcetrapib, which is being developed to raise patients’ HDL, or good cholesterol, also appears to raise blood pressure. On Oct. 30, Pfizer issued a news release highlighting new analysis that showed torcetrapib raised patients’ systolic blood pressure, the top number of the blood pressure reading, an average of three to four millimeters. Earlier Pfizer studies indicated a blood pressure increase of two to three millimeters. “Pfizer released the information early and we need to uphold our policies,” an AHA spokeswoman told The Wall Street Journal. The results were to have been presented at the AHA meeting in Chicago on Wednesday. A Pfizer spokesman told The Journal the company would abide by the AHA’sdecision. Pfizer scientists are now expected to present the data during a review of the company’s R&D pipeline on Nov. 30.