- The manufacturer of a drug used to treat multiple sclerosis is issuing new safety recommendations aimed at reducing the risk of serious heart-related side-effects when patients first start taking the medication.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. said its drug Gilenya (fingolimod) causes the heart rate to slow down in the first hours after ingestion, but it returns to normal after about a month of treatment.
Gilenya can also cause an irregular heartbeat, especially after the first dose, Novartis said in a Health Canada advisory Thursday.