There were over 2,000 patients studied in clinical trials for FTY 720 multiple sclerosis, the first oral therapy for the relief of MS symptoms. Approval was sought by the drug company Novaris before the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMEA) in December 2009. The original request was for the 0.5 mg dose because it presented the most benefits over potential risks compared to the 1.25 mg dosage. It was cleared by the FDA in 2010 and is now prescribed under the name Fingolimod.

FTY 720 MS proved to provide very substantial improvements over the standard medications that were administered by injection or infusion. Most of the patients involved in the trials sustained benefits from relapsing multiple sclerosis symptoms over two years, with some patients involved over 6 years. Patients had shown up to 60% fewer relapses compared to those receiving placebos. There were 52% …