Leverkusen - Bayer, Europe's second biggest drug group, was facing a crisis yesterday after being forced to withdraw a cholesterol-lowering drug which has been linked to 31 deaths in the US.
The German company announced that it was withdrawing Baycol, known as Lipobay in Europe, because of" increasing reports of side effects involving muscular weakness( rhabdomyolysis)".
The firm's shares has plummeted 17 per cent by the end of trading yesterday. Six million people worldwide will be affected by the withdrawal of the drug.