GSK’s Avandia to be hit by near-blanket ban

The Korea Food and Drug Administration will deal a powerful blow to GlaxoSmithKline by issuing a near-blanket ban on sales of Avandia, the UK pharmaceutical group’s top-selling diabetes drug, according to market insiders.

In a statement on September 24, the drug agency said it would restrict Avandia’s use to patients who could not control their diabetes on other medications, while authorizin...