AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca agreed to pay $3.1 million to settle a New York State Attorney General's lawsuit saying the British pharmaceutical company improperly promoted and marketed the schizophrenia drug Seroquel, concealing dangerous side effects such as diabetes from health care providers and the public. New...

The pharmaceutical industry is ready to fall off a cliff -- a "patent cliff." Over the next few years, some of the world's most popular and lucrative medicines will go off patent, and generic competition will siphon an estimated quarter of a trillion dollars from drugmakers' bottom lines.

Pfizer reported fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday that nearly quadrupled from a year ago as revenue rose 6%. But it also lowered its sales guidance for 2012, due to some of its bestselling drugs going off patent. What's ahead for the world's biggest drugmaker:

The FDA disappointed AstraZeneca and its investors by not approving its heart drug Brilinta, a blood-thinner that the company -- facing a severe patent cliff -- has high hopes for. If approved, it could be a multibillion-dollar blockbuster. But the FDA wants to see more analyses of results from a major study.

More than a year after AstraZeneca filed for approval, the FDA will make its decision on Thursday. A large study showed the blood thinner worked better than Plavix for treating acute coronary syndrome -- but approval isn't a sure thing, due in part to some oddities in the study's results.

As the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker looks to divest assets, it seeks a buyer for its dental implants and medical devices unit Astra Tech.

AstraZeneca and Pozen announced Monday that their pain reliever Vimovo for the treatment of arthritis had received positive agreement for approval by the 23 E.U. nations. Vimovo is a combination drug that reduces the risk of ulcers for frequent NSAID users.

It's a busy day at the FDA today as panels meet to discuss two new drugs -- one to help weight loss and the other to combat drug addiction -- and decide whether to approve AstraZeneca's new blood thinner medication.

AstraZeneca (AZN) announced Monday it had reached agreements to settle approximately 17,500 Seroquel product liability suits in the U.S. for some $198 million. The suits allege that anti-psychotic Seroquel causes weight-gain diabetes in some patients. The agreements in principle are subject to...

AstraZeneca's core earnings per share rose 9% in the second quarter, helped by a strong performance in emerging markets. While the British pharmaceutical warned the rest of the year will be "challenging," it also raised its 2010 earnings forecast for the third time this year.