MS drug approval to boost shares

SHARES in Elan gained more than 5% yesterday after US drug regulators said that they would fast track a safety review of its multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri.

The drug was withdrawn from sale in February after two patients who took drug developed the fatal brain disease PML.

Elan and Biogen Idec, an American drug company that is working with the Irish firm, have been reviewing patients since February and no new cases of PML have been found.