China Halts Production, Sales of Novartis International AG Drug for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

BEIJING (AP) -- China’s drug watchdog on Friday ordered domestic companies to stop producing and selling Novartis AG’s Zelnorm for irritable bowel syndrome and warned patients to stop taking it. “The risks of Zelnorm outweigh the possible benefits for some patients, based on analyses from home and abroad,” China’s State Food and Drug Administration said in a statement posted to the agency’s Web site.

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