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NCI Materials
Imatinib mesylate (also called Gleevec® or STI571) is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of some forms of adult and pediatric chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and for the treatment of a rare form of cancer called gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST).
With CML, imatinib works by blocking an abnormal enzyme characteristic of the disease. In GIST, imatinib blocks a different abnormal enzyme found on the tumor cells.
Imatinib is the first approved drug to directly turn off the signal of a protein known to cause a cancer. Other molecular-targeting drugs previously approved by the FDA interfere with proteins associated with other cancers, but not with proteins that directly cause the disease.
Imatinib is being investigated for its effectiveness against other kinds of cancer, as well, including acute lymphocytic leukemia and hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES).
Novartis, the maker of imatinib, has a Patient Assistance Program (PAP) to help patients who may be eligible for financial assistance in covering the cost of the drug. The company also maintains a toll-free number to call for more information about PAP or the drug itself: 1-877-GLEEVEC (1-877-453-3832).
Imatinib Mesylate (Gleevec™) Confirmed as More Effective Than Conventional Therapy for CML
(Posted: 05/20/2002, Reviewed: 12/20/2005) - Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec™) delayed progression of disease for longer, produced milder side effects, and resulted in a significantly better response than conventional therapy in patients with previously untreated chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), according to a report in the March 13, 2003, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Preliminary findings from the study had been presented at a scientific meeting in May 2002.
Imatinib Mesylate (Gleevec™) Looks Even Better for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
(Posted: 03/14/2002, Reviewed: 12/20/2005) - Patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) responded well to the molecularly targeted drug imatinib mesylate (Gleevec™) and experienced few severe side effects, researchers with a large phase II study reported in the February 28, 2002, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Imatinib Mesylate (Gleevec™) Shows Promise for Type of Gastrointestinal Tumor
(Posted: 07/20/2001, Reviewed: 12/20/2005) - Imatinib mesylate (Gleevec™), a new cancer drug approved on May 10, 2001, for the treatment of some types of leukemia, now appears also to work in a rare type of cancer called gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Two reports presented from early clinical trials of the drug, also called STI571, were presented at the 2001 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in San Francisco on May 14.
Imatinib Mesylate Proves Itself in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
(Posted: 04/05/2001, Reviewed: 12/13/2006) - Imatinib mesylate, also known as STI571 or Gleevec, offers much promise for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia and may soon surpass interferon alpha as the standard treatment for the disease, according to two reports published April 5, 2001, in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Gleevec: Questions and Answers
(Posted: 05/10/2001) - Gleevec, also known as STI571, is a new drug that the Food and Drug Administration approved today for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a cancer of white blood cells.
FDA Approves Important New Leukemia Drug
(Posted: 05/10/2001) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today its approval of the drug Gleevec as an oral treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).
Questions and Answers
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