FDA Holds Up Wyeth Drug

Updated from 9:20 a.m. EDT

Wyeth (WYE Quote) watched its shares drop sharply after U.S. regulators said they want another clinical trial for the menopause-symptoms treatment Pristiq.

The drugmaker said the Food and Drug Administration is asking for more information about Pristiq's potential risks of liver and cardiovascular side effects, adding that a clinical trial would take a year or more.

By late morning, the stock was down $4.36, or 7.8%, to $51.64 on trading that was already double the average daily volume for the past three months. The announcement provoked criticism from several analysts about a drug whose approval they had expected. ...