Strong Ph II data for Novartis' FTY720

Swiss drug major Novartis says that data from an 18-month extension to a Phase II study supports the significant effects of FTY720 (fingolimod), its novel once-daily oral drug in development for treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The findings, presented at the American Association of Neurology's annual meeting held in San Diego, showed that both patient groups taking FTY720 (1.25mg and 5mg) who had experienced more than a 50% reduction in their annualized relapse rate during the study's first six months compared to placebo maintained this low relapse rate during the subsequent 12-month extension trial. Novartis noted that currently-marketed MS therapies afford an average reduction of only 30% in two-year studies and require frequent injections on a daily or weekly basis, which suggests that the drug could be an important innovation in MS therapy. The study's chief investigator, Ludwig Kappos, said that "oral fingolimod has a novel mode of action different from all available MS therapies. If the Phase III clinical program confirms the promise of the Phase II results, oral fingolimod could represent a major improvement in the way MS will be treated in the future." Novartis hopes that the agent could become the first oral drug for MS, beating the world's top-selling interferon 1-beta agents like Serono's Rebif.