Having charged across the 5,000 mark yesterday, the FTSE 100 index has shed a couple of points this morning to 4,987.7, paced by Shire Pharmaceuticals Group.
Drugmaker Shire has fallen 60.5p or as much as 9.5% to 581.50p, after Canadian regulators ordered the company to withdraw its biggest selling drug, Adderall XR, as a result of its link to at least 20 deaths. Barclays bank has also dropped 14p to 580p in morning trading even though the lender posted a 14% increase in second-half profit as investment-banking income rose and loan loss provisions declined. Imperial Chemical Industries meanwhile has gained 20.50p or 8% to 266.50p. In Japan the Nikkei 225 Stock Average raced to a seven-month high, advancing 0.7% to 11,553.56 at its close ear...
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