Novartis wins approval for diabetes treatment
Novartis has been given the go-ahead to market a new type of drug, called Starlix, for the treatment of type two diabetes.
The Basel-based life sciences group said the approval was based on clinical data involving more than 4,000 patients, and is the first approval for Starlix in Europe.
It is estimated that approximately a quarter of a million people suffer from type two diabetes in Switzerland.
Starlix is one of the potential next generation of blockbuster drugs for Novartis. The company has teamed up with Germany's Merck group to co-promote and co-market the product in Europe and in certain African, Southeast Asian and Latin American countries.
Starlix is licensed by Novartis from Ajinomoto of Japan.
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