It’s not taken long for pharma giant AstraZeneca (AZN) to find itself back in the headlines, but this time chief executive Pascal Soriot will be glad it has. The US Department for Justice has terminated a 10-month long investigation into clinical trial data regarding Astra’s potential new blood-thinning drug, Brilinta.
The investigation into the clinical trial, known as the Plato trial, was considered unusual. Authorities often investigate the marketing practices of big pharma; GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) troubles in China are just the most recent example. But the investigation into Astra was launched last October after questions were raised over the results of clinical trials the group wanted to use to win regulatory approval for the drug. Academics wondered why trial participants who were supervised directly by the company were reported to have benefited more from taking Brilinta than those monitored independently.
The termination of the inquiry has left AstraZeneca feeling vindicated, with Mr Soriot insisting he always had "absolute confidence in the integrity of the Plato trial". It’s an important development for the boss, who placed Brilinta at the centre of his aggressive growth strategy when fighting off the takeover bid from Pfizer (US:PFE) earlier this year.
