US FDA advisers back Pfizer arthritis drug

SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND, May 10: Pfizer Inc <PFE.N> won support from a US advisory panel on Wednesday for its arthritis drug, which the world’s top drugmaker hopes will give it a major boost after a wave of patent expiries. A panel of outside experts to the US Food and Drug Administration voted 8-2 to recommend approval of tofacitinib, a treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have not had success with at least one other drug for the disease. (agencies)