UPDATE 1-Savient: One death in gout trial was in treatment arm

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Feb 28 (Reuters) - Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc (SVNT.O) said one death in the late-stage trials of its gout drug, Puricase, was in a patient assigned to the group that received the treatment.

Shares of the company fell almost 5 percent to $23 after the bell. They closed at $24.16 Thursday on Nasdaq.

Two deaths occurred in patients assigned to receive a dummy drug, Savient said in a statement. (Reporting by Varsha Tickoo in Bangalore; Editing by Himani Sarkar)