European Union Pushes Multiple Sclerosis Drugs, Biogen, Sanofi; Gilead HIV pill

The European Medicines Agency has recommended the approval of two new multiple sclerosis pills from Biogen Idec and Sanofi. Reports indicate that the two drugs are expected to become major best sellers.

The decision is still awaiting a verdict on Tecfidera or BG-12 in the United States. Tecfidera and Sanofi's Aubagio were both endorsed for treating relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). Aubagio was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the same use in September.

The London-based agency also gave a green light to Gilead Sciences's four-drug combination pill to treat HIV/AIDS, called Stribild, and recommended wider use of Bayer and Johnson & Johnson's anti-clotting drug Xarelto for treating acute coronary syndromes, according to Reuters.

Researchers believe Biogen's Tecfidera will be one of the first highly anticipated approvals of 2013 and will compete in the oral MS drug market against Novaritis's existing Gilenya and Aubagio, but many investors already see it as best in class.

Sales of the Biogen product are expected to reach $3.0 billion a year by 2017, outstripping revenues by the same time of $2.5 billion for Gilenya and $1.1 billion for Aubagio, according to consensus forecasts compiled by Thomson Reuters Pharma.

These drugs are changing the MS market dramatically, by offering patients a highly effective alternative to traditional injections, which can be painful and may cause flu-like symptoms, according to Yahoo News. And as a flurry of positive recommendations for the drug's marketing approval hit's the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, European Commission is expecting the endorsement in a couple months.