Nilotinib is an investigational drug that targets the same protein as Gleevec, but through a different mechanism. Nilotinib, according to results recently presented at the 2006 meeting of the American Society of Hematology, is effective and well tolerated in patients with chronic-phase myeloid leukemia (CML) who do not respond to or cannot tolerate Gleevec.
In the past the only curative treatment for CML was a stem cell transplant. Researchers are focused on finding curative therapies that do not involve so much of a mortality risk and are more easily tolerated. A study was conducted to further evaluate the treatment with nilotinib in patients with CML who have stopped responding to Gleevec. Results of the study indicate that nilotinib was effective.
