After years of impressive growth, Germany's Schering AG has had a tough few months. The 17,000-patient Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study in July highlighted an increased risk of breast cancer, heart attacks and stroke among patients taking Wyeth 's combined estrogen/progestin hormone replacement therapy (HRT) Prempro. Addressing the long-term risks of HRT, the study was terminated three years early because of the breast cancer findings.
The shock waves set off by the study went far beyond Wyeth's product, and beyond the US. In Germany, sales...