Bayer AG has announced that it will halt global sales of a blood-clotting drug after intense pressure from government regulators world-wide; the move comes after the firm decided to stop U.S. sales of the medication following scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to a Canadian study, the drug is linked to a 50 percent higher risk of death than similar drugs.

The drug, Trasylol is used to prevent excessive bleeding in patients undergoing heart bypass surgery. And the FDA has requested the drug be pulled until the federal regulatory agency is able to review the results from the study more closely.

John Jenkins, director of the agency's Office of New Drugs, said during a briefing Monday that the "FDA cannot identify a specific patient population where we believe the benefits of using Trasylol outweighs the risk."

The Leverkusen, Germany-based drug-maker said it decided to suspend sales of Trasylol after discussions with the FDA, the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medicine Products, and the Canadian Health Department.