The FDA approved Novartis’ new blood pressure (hypertension) drug, Tekturna. This final approval means that the drug will launch within the next several months and was a huge boost after the disappointment of Galvus.
Novartis announced the FDA's decision to delay the launch of Galvus while additional clinical trials were run to determine its effects regarding kidney impairment. Galvus was expected to be a blockbuster for Novartis, and its delay caused a large drop in stock prices while competitor Merck rose sharply.