FDA Questions Safety of Cardiome Pharma Corp.'s Drug to Treat Irregular Heart Rhythms
WASHINGTON (AP) - Shares of Canadian drug maker Cardiome Pharma Corp. fell Friday after U.S. regulators released a somewhat critical review of the company's drug to treat irregular heart rhythms. The Food and Drug Administration said Cardiome's drug vernakalant effectively restores normal heart rhythm in patients experiencing atrial fibrillation, which causes the heart's upper chambers to spastically contract. About 9 percent of people older than 80 experience the condition.