Novartis Drug Works to Treat Rare Cushing’s Disease

Novartis AG’s treatment for Cushing’s disease helped some patients, potentially providing a second marketed therapy for the rare condition, U.S. regulators said.

The drug known as pasireotide decreases levels of the hormone cortisol, which in excess cause Cushing’s, Food and Drug Administration staff said today in a report. The disease leads to obesity, skin that bruises easily, excess hair growth in women and decreased sexual desire in men, according to the National Institutes of Health.