On Thursday when a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel backed Novartis AG's (NOVN. VX) (NVS. N) experimental multiple sclerosis pill to help reduce and delay patients' symptoms, the pill moved a step closer to winning U. S. approval.

Presently, the degenerative disease has no cure but outside advisors of the FDA stated that the drug worked well enough to be considered an initial treatment option for all MS patients despite some concerns over potential risks. It was also stated that more data is still needed regarding its side-effects.

Panelist Judith Feinberg, a medical professor at the University of Cincinnati said, "This should be available to patients, but they should understand there are unknowns.”

Novartis' Gilenia if gets the approval, as the decision is expected by September after the FDA weighs the panel's recommendation, could be the first pill to treat U. S. patients, whose options now are limited to more invasive, injectable medications.

Novartis said that every patient can not tolerate Biogen Idec Inc (BIIB. O), Bayer AG (BAYGn. DE), Merck KGaA (MRCG. DE) and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (TEVA. TA) (TEVA. O) that are currently market injectable drugs.