EU agency backs new drugs from J&J, Lilly, Takeda

LONDON (Reuters) – European regulators said on Friday they had recommended approval of new pills for hepatitis C and diabetes from Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly, respectively, and an injectable drug for ulcerative colitis from Takeda. Recommendations for marketing approval by the European Medicine Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) are normally endorsed by the European Commission within a couple of months. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Keith Weir)