Important safety changes to the labeling for some widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins are being announced today by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a series of steps to increase the supply of critically needed cancer drugs and build on President Obama's Executive Order to help prevent future drug shortages.

The European Medicines Agency and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are launching an initiative to share work on inspections of manufacturing sites in each other's territories. The initiative, starting in January 2012, will enable the two authorities to rely on each other's inspection outcomes rather than carrying out separate inspections in duplicate.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic version of the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium tablets). Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. has gained approval to make generic atorvastatin calcium tablets in 10 milligram, 20 mg, 40 mg, and 80 mg strengths.

FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., said she is revoking the agency's approval of the breast cancer indication for Avastin (bevacizumab) after concluding that the drug has not been shown to be safe and effective for that use.

The European Medicines Agency is reviewing the latest available data on the cardiovascular safety of non-selective NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has reviewed further data from Finland on the suspected link between narcolepsy in children and adolescents and Pandemrix.