US panel urges more safety tests of diabetes drugs

SILVER SPRING, Md., July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators should require more testing of the potential heart risks of new diabetes medicines, an advisory panel said on Wednesday.

By a 14-2 vote, the advisers to the Food and Drug Administration recommended companies conduct a long-term study or provide equivalent evidence to rule out an unacceptable risk of heart problems for proposed new diabetes medicines.

Some data could be collected before approval with additional results provided after the drug reaches the market, several panel members said. (Reporting by Lisa Richwine; editing by Tim Dobbyn)