The censure was particularly strong because GSK had received a milder rebuke just a month earlier when the FDA had

The censure was particularly strong because GSK had received a milder rebuke just a month earlier, when the FDA had to tell it to change television and newspaper advertising to highlight the dangers.Thomas Abrams, of the FDA, wrote: “Due to the seriousness of your violations and the fact that violative promotion of Avandia has continued despite your written assurances to the contrary, we request that you provide a detailed response to the issues raised in this warning letter.”He went on to demand that GSK writes to doctors in the US who may have been misled by the company’s sales staff or adverts. GSK wrote to 300,000 doctors in May to inform them of the newly-discovered risks, and is in talks with the FDA to decide how extensive to make a second mailing.A GSK spokesman said: “We are working closely with the FDA to address their concerns and have already taken corrective action. We’re confident that any issue the FDA has will be resolved.”The US, the world’s biggest drugs market, accounts for two-thirds of Avandia’s global sales. In the US, income from the drug rose 72 per cent to more than $200m in the second quarter.. United Business Media announced 700 job cuts yesterday as the hi-tech media market and wider economy worsened in the US, its key market, and bit into profits. United Business Media announced 700 job cuts yesterday as the hi-tech media market and wider economy worsened in the US, its key market, and bit into profits.
Worse still, Lord Hollick, the chief executive, said: “Current market conditions remain very challenging and our planning assumption is that there will be no upturn in the US this year.”The company, which owns technology magazine titles like Internet Week and Network Magazine as well as the PR Newswire service, said its cost-cutting measures including the 9 per cut in its workforce, would deliver £60m of savings over the full year.United had already flagged in June that conditions in the hi-tech sector were tough and that it was taking corrective action.

Shares in the company closed up 8.5p at 597p.The bulk of the job losses fell in the US and more than 600 staff have already left the business None of the company’s titles have been closed. Lord Hollick said the company would consider cutting costs further if market deteriorated further.Pre-tax profits, before goodwill amortisation and exceptionals, fell 48 per cent in the six months ended 30 June to £71.7m. Profits in its “professional media” division, which includes its CMP technology publishing business, dropped almost 50 per cent to £35.4m. That division was hurt mainly by a drop-off in high-tech advertising revenue.Group sales from continuing operations fell 4.3 per cent to £489.4m with sales in the professional media unit down 9 per cent at £302.3m.Lord Hollick said the company had expected a tough year but that “it just kept getting tougher”.

He said: “The speed of the fall has taken us all by surprise.”. The slowdown in UK manufacturing is spreading to the once-buoyant services sector, a key survey revealed yesterday. The data was seen by the Bank of England before it cut interest rates to 5 per cent on Thursday, and economists said it increased the likelihood of a further rate cut. The slowdown in UK manufacturing is spreading to the once-buoyant services sector, a key survey revealed yesterday. The data was seen by the Bank of England before it cut interest rates to 5 per cent on Thursday, and economists said it increased the likelihood of a further rate cut.
According to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS), activity in the service sector was at its weakest level since February 1999.