Reuters ahead as analyst questions Crestor

Reuters was ahead of rivals on March 18 in reporting a top analyst’s conviction that AstraZeneca’s cholesterol drug Crestor had failed a clinical trial in dialysis patients. Shares in the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker reversed early gains following the Reuters story. The news was picked up 30 minutes later by Swedish news service Direkt. Dow Jones and Bloomberg were unseen. The Reuters report also triggered questions to the American College of Cardiology during a briefing for journalists ahead of its annual meeting, where the trial results will be announced. ACC officials refused to confirm or deny the report that Crestor had failed to show benefit in the study.