FDA Approves First Oral Drug To Reduce Relapses of Multiple Sclerosis

The Food and Drug Administration Sept. 22 announced that it has approved Gilenya (fingolimod capsules) to reduce relapses and delay disability progression in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Gilenya, which is made by Basel, Switzerland-based Novartis, is the first in a new class of drugs that block some blood cells in lymph nodes, reducing their migration to the brain and spinal cord, which may help with reducing the severity of MS, FDA said. MS is a chronic and often disabling disease that affects the central nervous system.

“Gilenya is the first oral drug that can slow the ...