FDA Extends Bristol Diabetes Drug Deadline

Updated from 10:17 a.m. EDT

Bristol-Myers Squibb(BMY Quote) and AstraZeneca(AZN Quote) announced Thursday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had extended its timeline for review of their diabetes drug ONGLYZA.

The FDA extended its deadline until July 30, 2009, for review of ONGLYZA, also known as saxagliptin. The original deadline was April 30. The drug is intended to be used to treat type 2 diabetes in conjunction with diet and exercise and a combination of three other drugs, and in initial combination therapy with metformin, as an adjunct to diet and exercise. It's part of the DPP-4 inhibitor drug family, which includes Merck's(MRK Quote) Januvia.

Other drugs in the intensifying diabetes race include Amylin(AMLN Quote) and Eli Lilly's(LLY Quote) Byetta and Novo Nordisk's(NVO Quote) injectable drug liraglutide.

Bristol shares rose 1.8% to $20.17. AstraZeneca shares rose 2% to $34.05.