* FTSEurofirst 300 index slip 0.2 percent
* Carmakers gain; Renault up after Japan FX intervention
* AstraZeneca slips on Brilinta delay
By Joanne Frearson
LONDON, Sept 15 (Reuters) - European shares edged lower on Wednesday, with drugmakers falling as AstraZeneca slipped after news its heart drug Brilinta faces a delay in getting U.S. approval, though gains in carmarkers limited losses.
Carmakers gave some support to the index as Renault rose 3 percent after Japan intervened in the foreign exchange markets for the first time in six years, making exports more attractive for Nissan Motors, which is part-owned by the company.
French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen gained 4.2 percent after traders cited Morgan Stanley's upgrade of the stock to "overweight" from "underweight".
By 0857 GMT, the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares was 0.2 percent lower at 1,086.02 points. The index has fallen 6.6 percent since the collapse of Lehman's two-years ago on worries about the global economic recovery, but is 3.9 percent higher for the year.
"We are in wait-and-see mode this morning, investors do not want to be too long, or too short until we know more about the recovery and what all the central banks will do," said Philippe Gijsels, head of research at BNP Paribas Fortis Global Markets in Brussels.
Drugmakers featured among the worst performers. AstraZeneca fell 1.3 percent after it said its potential new blockbuster heart drug Brilinta faces a three-month delay in winning U.S. approval, slicing valuable revenue-earning time off the product.
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On the upside, Next, Britain's number two fashion retailer, gained 4.9 percent after it maintained its guidance for the second half despite testing trading conditions, as it met forecasts for first-half profit.
WPP Group gained 1.4 percent, supported by bullish comments from Goldman Sachs in a review of European media agencies.
Investors are set to also focus on data from across the Atlantic for clues on the pace of economic recovery, with the New York Federal Reserve manufacturing index for September due at 1230 GMT and U.S. industrial production numbers from the same month scheduled for release at 1315 GMT.
"The market may look towards U.S. industrial production figures and if they are weaker than expected this could bring investors back to worries about the recovery," Bernard McAlinden, investment strategist at NCB Stockbrokers in Dublin, said.
The Euro STOXX 50, the euro zone's blue-chip index, fell 0.1 percent to 2,803.25 points, just below the 61.8 percent Fibonacci retracement of the index's fall from an April high to a May low at 2,805.95 points.
Across Europe, the FTSE 100 index was down 0.1 percent, Germany's DAX fell 0.1 percent and France's CAC 40 was flat. (Editing by Sharon Lindores)