March 26 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc said onWednesday that it had received European marketing approval forits once-weekly diabetes drug albiglutide, which it is marketingas Eperzan.
The drug received a positive recommendation from theEuropean Medicines Agency (EMA) in January.
GSK said it expects to launch albiglutide in severalcountries in Europe in the third to fourth quarter this year.
Albiglutide is currently under review by the US Food andDrug Administration (FDA), which is expected to give its opinionon the drug by April 15.
The EMA authorisation of albiglutide was based on theresults of the Harmony programme comprising eight late stagestudies, the company said.
The Harmony programme involved over 5,000 patients andevaluated albiglutide against commonly-used classes of type 2diabetes treatment, including insulin, in patients at differentstages of the disease, as well as those with renal impairment.
Shares in GSK were trading up 0.2 percent at 1625.8 penceper share at 1336 GMT on the London Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Roshni Menon in Bangalore; Editing by MathewVeedon)