Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca chased Thursday’s warm-and-fuzzy FDA panel endorsement news of its type 2 diabetes medication with a splash of cold water Friday when they announced they were pulling the drug from the German market, where it is known as Forxiga (dapagliflozin). The companies said they have not had agreeable pricing discussions with local insurers and are walking away.
The drug’s Dec. 13 endorsement was a redemption of sorts—an FDA panel turned the drug makers away in 2001 over safety concerns. Briefing documents indicated that reviewers were still worried about bladder cancer.
