Pharmaceutical Swiss drug major Novartis (NOVN. VX), which is in a race to bring oral multiple sclerosis drugs to the market with Germany's Merck KGaA (FWB: MRK), has received approval from the Russian health authority, the Federal Service on Surveillance in Healthcare and Social Development, for Gilenya (fingolimod; also using the brand name Gilenia) 0.5mg once-daily oral therapy for the treatment of relapsing remitting MS. 13 September 2010