ZURICH (Reuters)  The Swiss drug maker Novartis has gained the approval of American regulators for its multiple sclerosis pill Gilenya, putting it ahead of the German rival Merck in the race to be first with an oral treatment in the United States.

The Food and Drug Administration’s backing was largely expected after a unanimous recommendation by an advisory panel in June for agency approval to treat patients with relapsing M.S., the most common form of the disease.

Gilenya is one of Novartis’s most anticipated drugs, and the news could further lift sentiment in the stock, which has gained ground in recent weeks as investors focus on its promising pipeline and expect it to wrap up its buyout of Alcon.

A spokesman for Novartis said the group was looking to make Gilenya available soon. Some investors had been skeptical about Gilenya, which Novartis licensed from the Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation in 1997, because of its side effects.