Novartis osteoporosis drug approved in EU

Friday, October 05, 2007 10:00:00 AM ET

LONDON, October 5. Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG (NOT.FSE) Friday announced that the European regulatory authorities had approved the company’s osteoporosis drug, Aclasta.

Novartis mentioned that the once-a-year drug has been approved for the treatment of women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. The drug has recently been approved in the US and is sold under the brand name Reclast. The drug reduces the risk of fractures in areas of the body typically affected by osteoporosis, including the hip, spine, wrists and hips. Meanwhile, the Canadian health regulators announced that they were pulling out Novartis' painkiller, Prexige, from the market due to safety concerns. The drug was recently denied marketing approval in the US.

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