Novartis receives European Commission approval for FTY720, the first oral multiple sclerosis treatment for use in the EU

March 28, 2011 PRESS RELEASE Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation Novartis receives European Commission approval for FTY720, the first oral multiple sclerosis treatment for use in the EU Novartis (head office: Basel, Switzerl and) announced on March 21, 2011 that the European Commission granted Novartis approval for FTY720, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator (g eneric name: fingolimod) as a disease modifying therapy in patients with highly ac tive relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) despite treatment with beta interfer on, or in patient with rapidly evolving severe RRMS. FTY720 is the world's first S1P receptor modulator, and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (head office: Osaka, Japan) licensed its development and marketing rights out to Novartis for the entire world excluding Ja pan on September 22, 1997. In countries outside Japan, as of March 2011, Novartis has obtained the approvals in Russia, the U.S., Switzerland, Australia, and Canada, successively. In the U.S., Novartis has started its marketing under the brand name, Gilenya® since last October. In Japan, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma submitted an application for manufacturing and marketing approval of FTY720 for the treatment of multiple sclerosis on December 20, 2010, that has been co-developed with Novartis Pharma K.K. (head office: Tokyo, Japan). Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma will contribute to fulfill the expectations of patients as well as medical professionals through developing and marketing pharmaceuticals that satisfy unmet medical needs, and will contribute to the healthier lives people around the world through the creation of pharmaceuticals. <Media enquiry> Corporate Communications Department Phone: +81 6-6205-5211

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