Author: PharmaTimes

Merck & Co says that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new indication for its hypertension drug, Hyzaar (losartan potassium-hydrochlorothiazide). The drug is now indicated to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy – a thickening of the heart’s main pumping chamber, the left ventricle.

The US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labour and Pensions has delayed a vote on President Bush’s nomination of Lester Crawford as the new head of the US Food and Drug Administration after anonymous allegations were received from an agency employee. According to Associated Press, the Senate Health Committee has also requested that an internal investigation be initiated by the FDA into the allegations – details of which have not been disclosed.

Merck & Co said yesterday that it was anticipating its first quarter financial results would be higher than expected due to a “number if factors”, including cost cuts [[15/12/04a]], favourable currency rates and an improved revenue performance. However, the company tempered the good news with a reiteration that it was still expecting full-year 2005 earnings per share in the $2.42 to $2.52 range – as much as 7% down on the figure recorded in 2004 [[26/01/05b]] – in the wake of the market withdrawal of its arthritis and acute pain drug, Vioxx (rofecoxib) [[01/10/04a]].

All eyes will likely be tuned to Eli Lilly later on today when a US district judge is expected to issue his long-awaited ruling on a challenge to the patent covering its top-selling anti-psychotic, Zyprexa (olanzapine).

Novartis has licensed rights to long-acting bronchodilator for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, boosting its pipeline in this fast-growing therapeutic category.