Imatinib Gleevec Glivec STI-571 tyrosine-kinase inhibitor CAS NO.152459-95-5

Imatinib is used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and a number of other malignancies.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia[edit]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved imatinib as first-line treatment for Philadelphia chromosome-positive CML, both in adults and children. The drug is approved in multiple Philadelphia chromosome-positive cases of CML, including after stem cell transplant, in blast crisis, and newly diagnosed.^[8]

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors[edit]

The FDA first granted approval for advanced GIST patients in 2002. On 1 February 2012, imatinib was approved for use after the surgical removal of KIT-positive tumors to help prevent recurrence.^[9] The drug is also approved in unresectable KIT-positive GISTs.^[8]

Other[edit]

The FDA has approved imatinib for use in adult patients with relapsed or refractory Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL), myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases associated with platelet-derived growth factor receptor gene rearrangements, aggressive systemic mastocytosis without or an unknown D816V c-KIT mutation, hypereosinophilic syndrome and/or chronic eosinophilic leukemia who have the FIP1L1-PDGFRα fusion kinase (CHIC2 allele deletion) or FIP1L1-PDGFRα fusion kinase negative or unknown, unresectable, recurrent and/or metastatic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.^[8] On 25 January 2013, Gleevec was approved for use in children with Ph+ ALL.^[10]

For treatment of progressive plexiform neurofibromas associated with neurofibromatosis type I, early research has shown potential for using the c-KIT tyrosine kinase blocking properties of imatinib