Drug approval sought

GERMAN drugmaker Altana expects to submit its key roflumilast drug for asthma and smoker’s lung for European approval in February, slightly later than planned.

Altana will make the once-daily tablets first in Germany and later at a new plant near Cork. Altana is investing about €70 million in the Cork unit.

The statement hit Altana shares, as the company had earlier said it would file by the end of 2003, and analysts said they would now not be surprised by a similar delay to the US filing for the drug, planned for the end of 2004.