What is Gleevec?

Gleevec is a brand-name remedy medication. It’s used to provide certain forms of blood cancers in adults and children. Gleevec is also used to provide a form of skin cancer and a form of gastrointestinal cancer.

Gleevec contains a drug imatinib mesylate, that belongs to a category of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Gleevec comes as a inscription that we take by mouth. You take a drug possibly once or twice a day, depending on a sip your alloy prescribes.

What it does

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized Gleevec to provide certain forms of blood cancers, including:

• Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML) in adults and children
• Ph+ strident lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) that’s relapsed* or refractory* in adults
• newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL in children
• myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases (bone pith cancers) in adults with platelet-derived expansion means receptor (PDGFR) gene rearrangements
• hypereosinophilic syndrome or ongoing eosinophilic leukemia in adults
• aggressive systemic mastocytosis in adults though a D816v c-Kit mutation

* Relapsed cancer has returned after remission, that is a diminution in cancer signs and symptoms. Refractory cancer hasn’t responded to prior cancer treatments.

Gleevec is also authorized to treat:

• a form of skin cancer called dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) in adults
• a form of gastrointestinal cancer called Kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in adults

For details, see a sections for “Gleevec for CML” and “Other uses for Gleevec.”

Gleevec effectiveness

Gleevec has been found effective in treating several opposite forms of blood cancers.

In one clinical study, adults with newly diagnosed CML in a ongoing proviso took Gleevec for 7 years. In this group, 96.6 % of people had a finish response to a drug. This means that no carcenogenic cells were found in their blood, and they had no symptoms of cancer.

Complete response is one approach to report a success rate. In a organisation of people who perceived customary chemotherapy, 56.6% had a finish response.

Gleevec has also been found effective in treating gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in clinical studies. The altogether presence rate was about 4 years. This means that half a people in a investigate lived for about 4 years after they started holding Gleevec. People who took Gleevec after carrying medicine lived for about 5 years after starting a drug.

To learn how effective Gleevec is in treating other forms of cancers, see a “Other uses for Gleevec” section.

Gleevec generic

Gleevec is accessible as a brand-name remedy and as a ubiquitous form.

Gleevec contains a active drug part imatinib mesylate.

Gleevec side effects

Gleevec can means amiable or critical side effects. The following lists enclose some of a pivotal side effects that competence start while holding Gleevec. These lists don’t embody all probable side effects.

For some-more information on a probable side effects of Gleevec, speak with your alloy or pharmacist. They can give we tips on how to bargain with any side effects that competence be bothersome.

More common side effects

The some-more common side effects of Gleevec can include:

• diarrhea
• belly pain
• fatigue (lack of energy)
• edema (swelling, typically in your legs, ankles, or feet and around your eyes)
• muscle cramps or pain
• nausea
• vomiting
• rash

Many of these side effects competence go divided within a few days or a integrate of weeks. If they’re some-more critical or don’t go away, speak with your alloy or pharmacist.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Gleevec aren’t common, though they can occur. Call your alloy right divided if we have critical side effects. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if we consider you’re carrying a medical emergency.

Serious side effects and their symptoms can embody a following:

• Severe liquid influence (too many liquid or water) in and around your heart, lungs (pleural effusion), and swell (ascites). Symptoms can include:
• unexpected, quick weight gain
• chest pain
• shortness of breath
• trouble holding low breaths
• trouble respirating when we distortion down
• dry cough
• swollen belly
• Blood disorders, including anemia (low levels of red blood cells), neutropenia (low levels of white blood cells), and thrombocytopenia (low levels of platelets). Symptoms can include:
• fatigue (lack of energy)
• rapid heart rate
• shortness of breath
• frequent infections
• fevers
• bruising easily
• bleeding gums
• blood in urine or stool
• Congestive heart disaster and other heart problems, such as left-sided heart failure. Symptoms can include:
• unexpected weight gain
• edema (swelling of your feet, ankles, and legs)
• abnormal heart rate or stroke (heartbeat that’s too fast, too slow, or irregular)
• chest pain
• shortness of breath
• Liver repairs or liver failure. Symptoms can include:
• nausea
• diarrhea
• loss of appetite
• itchy skin
• jaundice (yellowish tone of your skin and a whites of your eyes)
• edema (swelling of your legs, ankles, and feet)
• ascites (fluid buildup in your belly)
• frequent bruising
• frequent bleeding
• Severe hemorrhage (bleeding that doesn’t stop), many mostly in your intestines. Symptoms can include:
• blood in stool
• black or tarry stool
• fatigue (lack of energy)
• coughing adult blood
• coughing adult black sludge
• nausea
• stomach cramps
• Gastrointestinal problems, including perforations (tears) in your stomach or intestines. Symptoms can include:
• nausea
• vomiting
• severe pain in your stomach
• fever
• shortness of breath
• fast heartbeat
• Severe skin problems. Symptoms can include:
• erythema multiforme (red rags or blisters, mostly on a soles of your feet or a palms of your hands)
• Stevens-Johnson syndrome (fever; unpleasant sores on your mouth, throat, eyes, genitals, or whole body)
• fever
• body aches
• Hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels) in people who have had their thyroid private and are holding thyroid deputy medication. Symptoms can include:
• fatigue (lack of energy)
• constipation
• depression
• feeling cold
• dry skin
• weight gain
• memory problems
• Slowed expansion in children. Symptoms can include:
• not flourishing during a normal rate
• smaller distance than other children their age
• Tumor lysis syndrome (when cancer cells recover damaging chemicals into your blood). Symptoms can include:
• fatigue (lack of energy)
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• muscle cramps
• abnormal heart stroke (heartbeat that’s too fast, too slow, or irregular)
• seizures
• Kidney damage. Symptoms can include:
• urinating reduction mostly than usual
• edema (swelling of your legs, ankles, and feet)
• fatigue (lack of energy)
• nausea
• confusion
• high blood pressure
• Side effects that can lead to engine car accidents. Symptoms can include:
• dizziness
• sleepiness
• blurred vision

Side outcome details

You competence consternation how mostly certain side effects start with this drug, or possibly certain side effects associate to it. Here’s some fact on several of a side effects this drug competence or competence not cause.

Allergic reaction

As with many drugs, some people can have an allergic greeting after holding Gleevec. Symptoms of a amiable allergic greeting can include:

• skin rash
• itchiness
• flushing (warmth and redness in your skin)

A some-more critical allergic greeting is singular though possible. Symptoms of a critical allergic greeting can include:

• angioedema (swelling underneath your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet)
• swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat
• trouble breathing

Call your alloy right divided if we have a critical allergic greeting to Gleevec. Call 911 if your symptoms feel life-threatening or if we consider you’re carrying a medical emergency.

Long-term side effects

Some of a side effects seen in clinical studies can start with long-term use of Gleevec. These embody heart problems, such as congestive heart disaster and left-sided heart failure.

In a clinical study, some-more than 500 people who took Gleevec for ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML) were followed for adult to 11 years. People in this long-term investigate had many of a same common side effects that were reported in shorter studies. However, these side effects seemed to urge over time.

Serious side effects seen with long-term use included:

• severe blood disorders (low levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets) in 6 people
• heart problems, including congestive heart failure, in 7 people
• six cases of new cancer, including mixed myeloma in one chairman and colon cancer in another person

Side effects were many common during a initial year of diagnosis with Gleevec. But a longer that people took Gleevec, a reduction mostly they had many of these side effects. For example, in a initial year of a study, 3 people had critical blood disorders, though after a fifth year, customarily one chairman did.

In a five-year investigate of people with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), 16% of people stopped holding Gleevec since of side effects. The side effects were identical to those described in a CML investigate above. Forty percent of people in a investigate were prescribed revoke doses of a drug to palliate their side effects.

If you’re endangered about probable long-term side effects of Gleevec, speak with your doctor. They can advise ways to revoke your risks for certain side effects.

Eye-related side effects

In clinical studies of Gleevec, some people had eye-related side effects such as flourishing and becloud vision.

Eyelid flourishing and flourishing around a eyes were some of a many common side effects. Up to 74.2% of people who took Gleevec had periorbital edema (swelling of a eye area).

If we have this side effect, your alloy competence allot a diuretic (often called a H2O pill). Diuretics assistance your physique get absolved of additional H2O and salt when we urinate. This eases liquid buildup. Your alloy competence also revoke your sip of Gleevec, if needed.

In addition, clinical studies reported that adult to 11.1% of people who took Gleevec had becloud vision. If we have becloud vision, don’t expostulate or use complicated machinery. And be certain to tell your alloy that we can’t see clearly.

Other reduction common eye-related side effects included:

• dry eye
• watery eyes
• eye irritation
• conjunctivitis (often called pinkish eye)
• broken blood vessels in a eye
• swelling of a retina (a covering of hankie in a behind of your eye)

If you’re holding Gleevec and have any eye-related side effects, speak with your doctor. They can advise ways to palliate your symptoms.

Hair loss

Hair detriment (alopecia) is a probable side outcome of holding Gleevec.

One investigate tested how Gleevec works in people with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML). Seven percent of these people had hair detriment after they took a drug.

In another study, people took Gleevec to provide gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Between 11.9% and 14.8% of these people had hair loss. This side outcome was seen some-more mostly in people who took aloft doses of Gleevec.

Hair detriment due to cancer diagnosis is customarily temporary. If you’re endangered about this side effect, speak with your doctor. They can advise tips to assistance we revoke hair detriment during your treatment.

Rash and other skin side effects

Gleevec can means amiable and some-more critical side effects to your skin.

More common skin reactions

Rashes and other amiable skin reactions are really common in people who take Gleevec.

In clinical studies, people took Gleevec to provide Ph+ ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML). Up to 40.1% of these people had rashes or other skin reactions after holding a drug.

In other clinical studies, people took Gleevec for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). After holding a drug, adult to 49.8% of these people had rashes or other skin reactions. These included:

• peeling of a skin
• dry skin
• skin blemish (a bluish stain to a skin)
• infections of hair follicles (sacs underneath your skin that reason a roots of your hair)
• erythema (reddening of skin)
• purpura (purple-colored spots on skin)

These side effects were some-more common in people who took aloft doses of Gleevec.

If you’re endangered about rashes or other amiable skin reactions due to Gleevec, speak with your doctor. They can advise ways to assistance palliate your symptoms.

Serious skin reactions

In clinical studies, critical skin reactions were really singular in people who took Gleevec. Up to 1% of people who took this drug had a critical skin reaction. Examples of critical drug-related skin effects include:

• Stevens-Johnson syndrome (fever; unpleasant sores on your mouth, throat, eyes, genitals, or whole body)
• exfoliative unreasonable (skin bark over vast tools of your body)
• vesicular unreasonable (small blisters and a rash)

Rashes and blisters can be really painful. And if they’re not treated, they can trap germ and lead to critical infections. So if you’re holding Gleevec and have a unreasonable or blisters with a heat or we don’t feel well, tell your alloy right away. Also discuss any other skin reactions we have.

Side effects inspiring driving

In clinical studies, some people who took Gleevec had side effects that could impact their ability to drive. These included:

• dizziness: in adult to 19.4% of people
• blurry vision: in adult to 11.1% of people
• fatigue: in 74.9% of people

These side effects competence impact your ability to expostulate or use complicated machinery. There have been reports of engine car accidents by people who took Gleevec. So we should use counsel when pushing or regulating machine while holding Gleevec.

Slowed wound recovering (not a side effect)

Slowed wound recovering wasn’t reported in clinical studies of Gleevec.

Some forms of cancer treatment, such as deviation and chemotherapy, competence mangle your defence system. This can make wounds reanimate some-more slowly.

If you’re endangered about slowed wound healing, ask your alloy possibly we have a aloft risk for this problem shaped on your medical condition.

Liver cancer (may not be a side effect)

Liver cancer wasn’t reported as a side outcome in clinical studies of Gleevec. However, liver repairs has occurred in both short- and long-term use of Gleevec. Some cases of liver repairs have led to liver disaster and liver transplant.

Liver repairs is mostly found when doctors guard enzymes (special proteins) that are done in a liver. Enzyme levels that are aloft than normal can be a pointer of liver damage.

Some earthy symptoms of liver repairs include:

• nausea
• diarrhea
• loss of appetite
• itchy skin
• jaundice (yellowish tone of your skin and a whites of a eyes)
• edema (swelling of your legs, ankles, and feet)
• ascites (fluid buildup in your belly)
• frequent bruising
• frequent bleeding

During clinical studies, adult to 5% of people with ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML) had exceedingly high liver enzyme levels during Gleevec treatment. Up to 6.8% of people with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) had exceedingly high liver enzyme levels during treatment. And adult to 0.1% of people who took Gleevec had liver failure.

While we take Gleevec, your alloy will guard how your liver is working. If we have signs of liver repairs while holding Gleevec, your alloy competence revoke your dose. This competence forestall repairs that could lead to liver failure.

Side effects in children

Children in clinical studies who took Gleevec had side effects that were really identical to those in adults. But researchers found these exceptions:

• fewer children had flesh or bone pain than adults had
• edema (swelling of a legs, ankles, feet, and area around a eyes) wasn’t reported in children

The many ordinarily reported side effects reported in children were revulsion and vomiting. The many common critical side effects were low levels of white blood cells and platelets.

If your child has these side effects, speak with your child’s alloy about ways to conduct them.

Gleevec for CML

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized Gleevec for certain people with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML). The Philadelphia chromosome is chromosome series 22 with a defect. People with Ph+ CML have a specific change in their DNA that causes too many white blood cells to form.

CML is divided into 3 phases:

• Chronic phase. This is a initial proviso of CML. Most people are diagnosed with CML during a ongoing phase. Symptoms are customarily mild, if there are any during all.
• Accelerated phase. In this second phase, a series of cancer cells in your blood increases. You competence have some-more symptoms, such as heat and weight loss.
• Blast predicament phase. In this many modernized phase, cancer cells in your blood have widespread to other viscera and tissues. Your symptoms competence be some-more severe.

Gleevec is authorized to provide newly diagnosed Ph+ CML in a ongoing proviso in people of all ages.

It’s also authorized to provide Ph+ CML in a chronic, accelerated, or blast predicament proviso for people who have had catastrophic diagnosis with interferon-alpha therapy. Interferon-alpha is a drug that was used some-more mostly in a past to provide CML. It’s been transposed by drugs such as Gleevec that have been shown to be some-more effective.

Effectiveness

In a seven-year clinical study, a presence rate for adults who took Gleevec for newly diagnosed Ph+ CML was 86.4%. This means that 86.4% of a adults survived for 7 years after they started holding Gleevec. This was compared to 83.3% of people who took customary chemotherapy drugs.

In a clinical study, people who had formerly attempted interferon-alpha for CML took Gleevec. Some of these people had a finish response to Gleevec treatment. This means that no carcenogenic cells were found in their blood, and they had no symptoms of cancer. Here’s how many people with CML had a finish response to holding Gleevec:

• 95% of people in a ongoing phase
• 38% of people in a accelerated phase
• 7% of people in a blast predicament phase

The clinical investigate also enclosed children with Ph+ CML in a ongoing phase. In a organisation that took Gleevec, 78% of children had a finish response to a drug.

Other uses for Gleevec

In further ongoing myeloid leukemia (see above), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized Gleevec to provide several other conditions.

Gleevec for strident lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)

Gleevec is FDA-approved to treat:

• Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) strident lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) that’s relapsed* or refractory* in adults
• newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL in children when used with chemotherapy

* Relapsed cancer has returned after remission, that is a diminution in cancer signs and symptoms. Refractory cancer hasn’t responded to prior cancer treatments.

In a clinical study, 19% of adults with relapsed or inauspicious ALL who took Gleevec had a finish response in their blood to treatment. This means that they had no symptoms of cancer.

A clinical investigate also looked during children with ALL who took Gleevec and had chemotherapy. For 70% of a children, their cancer didn’t get worse for 4 years.

Gleevec for other forms of blood cancers

Gleevec is FDA-approved to provide other forms of blood cancers, including:

• Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases (bone pith cancers) in adults with platelet-derived expansion means receptor (PDGFR) gene rearrangements. In a tiny clinical study, 45% of people treated with Gleevec had a finish response in their blood to treatment. This means that no cancer cells were found in their blood, and they had no symptoms of cancer.
• Hypereosinophilic syndrome and/or ongoing eosinophilic leukemia in adults, including people with FIP1L1-PDGFRα alloy kinase. In tiny clinical studies, 100% of people with a PDGFR gene turn who took Gleevec had a finish response in their blood to treatment. Between 21% and 58% of people though a gene turn or with an opposite turn standing who took Gleevec had a finish response in their blood.
• Aggressive systemic mastocytosis in adults though a D816v c-Kit mutation. In a tiny clinical study, 100% of people with a FIP1L1-PDGFRα alloy kinase turn who were treated with Gleevec had a finish response to treatment.

Gleevec for skin cancer

Gleevec is FDA-approved to provide dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, a singular form of skin cancer, in adults. It’s authorized for people whose cancer:

• can’t be operated on
• has come behind after treatment
• is metastatic (has widespread to other tools of a body)

A tiny series of people have been treated with Gleevec for this condition in clinical studies. Of those people who took Gleevec, 39% had a finish response to treatment. This means that a skin biopsy (removing and contrast a tiny representation of skin) showed no signs of cancer.

Gleevec for gastrointestinal cancer

Gleevec is FDA-approved to provide Kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in adults that can’t be operated on or are metastatic (have widespread to other tools of a body). Gleevec is also authorized to provide GIST in adults who have had medicine to mislay tumors. This form of diagnosis (adjuvant treatment) is used to forestall a cancer from returning after surgery.

In clinical studies, people with GIST that couldn’t be surgically private took 400 or 800 mg of Gleevec. They survived for about 4 years.

Other people with GIST did have surgery. Between 14 and 70 days later, they started holding Gleevec in a study. They had about a 60% revoke risk of possibly failing or carrying a cancer lapse over a duration of 12 months. This was compared to people who took a remedy (treatment with no active medication).

Off-label uses for Gleevec

In further to a uses listed above, Gleevec competence be used off-label for other uses. Off-label drug use is when a drug that’s authorized for one use is prescribed for a opposite one that’s not approved.

Gleevec competence be used off-label for other cancers, including:

• prostate cancer, according to a 2015 study
• melanoma, according to National Comprehensive Cancer Network diagnosis guidelines
• type 1 diabetes, according to a 2018 clinical trial

However, there isn’t many investigate on how Gleevec works in humans with these conditions. More studies are indispensable to establish possibly Gleevec helps provide any condition.

Gleevec for children

Gleevec is FDA-approved as a diagnosis for children with a following conditions:

• newly diagnosed Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML) in a ongoing proviso (the initial proviso of a disease)
• newly diagnosed Ph+ strident lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) when used with chemotherapy

Gleevec is authorized for use in children of all ages. However, there haven’t been studies on how protected or effective Gleevec is in children younger than age 1 year.

Gleevec cost

As with all medications, a cost of Gleevec can vary. To find stream prices for Gleevec in your area, check out GoodRx.com:

The cost we find on GoodRx.com is what we competence compensate though insurance. The tangible cost you’ll compensate depends on your word coverage and a pharmacy we use.

Financial and word assistance

If we need financial support to compensate for Gleevec , or if we need assistance bargain your word coverage, assistance is available.

Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation, a manufacturer of Gleevec, offers a module called Novartis Oncology Universal Co-pay Program. For some-more information and to find out if you’re authorised for support, call 877-577-7756 or revisit a module website.

Gleevec dosage

The Gleevec sip your alloy prescribes will count on several factors. These include:

• the form and astringency of a condition you’re regulating Gleevec to treat
• age
• weight (for children)
• presence of gene mutations
• other medical conditions we competence have
• other remedy we competence take
• side effects we competence have

The sip we will accept depends on your cancer. For some cancers, your alloy competence start we on a low dosage. Then they’ll adjust it over time to strech a sip that’s right for you.

The following information describes dosages that are ordinarily used or recommended. However, be certain to take a sip your alloy prescribes for you. Your alloy will establish a best sip to fit your needs.

Drug forms and strengths

Gleevec comes as a inscription that we take by mouth (you swallow it). It’s accessible in 100-mg tablets and 400-mg tablets.

The 100-mg and 400-mg tablets come in bottles. The 400-mg tablets also come in scald packs that are tough for children to open.

Gleevec dosages

The following doses are standard starting dosages for any condition:

• adults with Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML) in a ongoing proviso (the initial proviso of a disease): 400 mg/day
• adults with Ph+ CML in a accelerated or blast predicament proviso (the second and third phases of a disease): 600 mg/day
• adults with Ph+ strident lymphocytic leukemia (ALL): 600 mg/day
• adults with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative disease: 400 mg/day
• adults with assertive systemic mastocytosis: 100 mg or 400 mg/day
• adults with hypereosinophilic syndrome and/or ongoing eosinophilic leukemia: 100 mg/day or 400 mg/day
• adults with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: 800 mg/day
• adults with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST): 400 mg/day

Your alloy competence allot a opposite sip for you. They’ll bottom it on how good your physique responds to a drug, how critical your side effects are, and other factors. If we have questions about a right sip of Gleevec for you, speak with your doctor.

Pediatric dosage

Dosages for children are a following:

• children with Ph+ CML in a ongoing proviso (the initial proviso of a disease): 340 mg/m2/day
• children with Ph+ ALL: 340 mg/m2/day to be taken with chemotherapy

Your child’s alloy will bottom a sip on your child’s tallness and weight. (So 340 mg/m2 means 340 mg per block scale of physique aspect area.) For example, if your child is 4 feet high and weighs 49 lbs., their physique aspect area is about 0.87 m2. So a sip for Ph+ CML would be 300 mg.

What if we skip a dose?

If we skip a sip of Gleevec, take one as shortly as we remember. If it’s roughly time for your subsequent dose, wait and take a subsequent sip as scheduled. Don’t take dual doses to make adult for a missed dose. This can boost your risk for critical side effects.

Will we need to use this drug prolonged term?

Gleevec is meant to be used as a long-term treatment. If we and your alloy establish that Gleevec is protected and effective for you, you’ll expected take it prolonged term.

Alternatives to Gleevec

Other drugs are accessible that can provide your condition. Some competence be improved matched for we than others. If you’re meddlesome in anticipating an choice to Gleevec, speak with your alloy to learn some-more about other drugs that competence work good for you.

Note: Some of a drugs listed here are used off-label to provide these specific conditions.

Alternatives for CML

Examples of other drugs that competence be used to provide Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML) are:

• dasatinib (Sprycel)
• nilotinib (Tasigna)
• bosutinib (Bosulif)
• ponatinib (Iclusig)
• omacetaxine (Synribo)
• daunorubicin (Cerubidine)
• cytarabine
• interferon-alpha (Intron A)

Alternatives for GIST

Examples of other drugs that competence be used to provide gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are:

• sunitinib (Sutent)
• regorafenib (Stivarga)
• sorafenib (Nexavar)
• nilotinib (Tasigna)
• dasatinib (Sprycel)
• pazopanib (Votrient)

Alternatives for other conditions Gleevec competence provide are also available. Talk with your alloy about that drugs can be used for your condition.

Gleevec vs. Tasigna

You competence consternation how Gleevec compares to other drugs that are prescribed for identical uses. Here we demeanour during how Gleevec and Tasigna are comparison and different.

Uses

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized both Gleevec and Tasigna to provide certain forms of blood cancers.

Both drugs are FDA-approved to provide newly diagnosed Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML) in a ongoing proviso in adults and children.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is divided into 3 phases:

• Chronic phase. This is a initial proviso of CML. Most people are diagnosed with CML during a ongoing phase. Symptoms are customarily mild, if there are any during all.
• Accelerated phase. In this second phase, a series of cancer cells in your blood increases. You competence have some-more symptoms, such as heat and weight loss.
• Blast predicament phase. In this many modernized phase, cancer cells in your blood have widespread to other viscera and tissues. Your symptoms competence be some-more severe.

Gleevec is authorized to provide Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) CML in adults who are in a chronic, accelerated, or blast predicament proviso if interferon-alpha therapy hasn’t worked.

Interferon-alpha is a drug that was ordinarily used to provide CML in a past. It’s a synthetic drug that acts like certain defence complement proteins and prevents a expansion of cancer cells.

Tasigna is authorized in to provide Ph+ CML in a ongoing or accelerated phases in adults if other treatments haven’t worked, including diagnosis with Gleevec. Tasigna isn’t authorized for a blast predicament phase.

Tasigna is also authorized to provide Ph+ CML in children ages 1 year and comparison if other treatments haven’t worked. Gleevec is authorized to provide newly diagnosed Ph+ CML in children.

Gleevec is also authorized to provide other forms of cancers. See a “Other uses for Gleevec” territory to learn more.

Drug forms and administration

Gleevec contains a drug imatinib. Tasigna contains a drug nilotinib.

Gleevec comes as a tablet. Tasigna comes as a capsule. Both drugs are taken by mouth.

Gleevec is taken once or twice a day, depending on your dose. Tasigna is taken twice a day.

Gleevec comes as 100-mg and 400-mg tablets. Tasigna comes as 50-mg, 150-mg, and 200-mg capsules.

Side effects and risks

Gleevec and Tasigna enclose identical drugs. Therefore, both drugs can means really identical side effects. Below are examples of these side effects.

More common side effects

These lists enclose examples of some-more common side effects that can start with Gleevec, with Tasigna, or with both drugs (when taken individually).

• Can start with Gleevec:
• edema (swelling of your legs, ankles, and feet, and around your eyes)
• muscle cramps
• muscle pain
• bone pain
• stomach pain
• Can start with Tasigna:
• headache
• itchy skin
• cough
• constipation
• joint pain
• nasopharyngitis (common cold)
• fever
• night sweats
• Can start with both Gleevec and Tasigna:
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• rash
• fatigue (lack of energy)

Serious side effects

These lists enclose examples of critical side effects that can start with Gleevec, with Tasigna, or with both drugs (when taken individually).

• Can start with Gleevec:
• congestive heart disaster or heart problems such as left-sided heart failure
• gastrointestinal perforations (holes in your stomach or intestines)
• severe skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (fever; unpleasant sores on your mouth, throat, eyes, genitals, or whole body)
• kidney damage
• hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels) in people who have had their thyroid removed
• Can start with Tasigna:
• long QT interlude (abnormal electrical activity in your heart), that is singular though could lead to remarkable death
• blocked blood vessels in a heart
• pancreatitis
• electrolyte imbalances (high or low levels of certain minerals)
• Can start with both Gleevec and Tasigna:
• blood disorders, including anemia (low levels of red blood cells), neutropenia (low levels of white blood cells), and thrombocytopenia (low levels of platelets)
• liver damage
• tumor lysis syndrome (cancer cells recover damaging chemicals into your blood)
• hemorrhage (bleeding that doesn’t stop)
• severe liquid influence (too many liquid or water)
• slowed expansion in children

Effectiveness

Gleevec and Tasigna have opposite FDA-approved uses. But they both provide Ph+ CML in a ongoing and accelerated phases if certain other treatments haven’t worked. CML has 3 phases: ongoing (phase 1), accelerated (phase 2), and blast predicament (phase 3).

The use of Gleevec and Tasigna in treating newly diagnosed Ph+ CML in adults has been directly compared in a clinical study. Researchers compared people who took possibly 400 mg of Gleevec once a day or 300 mg of Tasigna twice a day.

After 12 months of treatment, 65% of people who took Gleevec had no Ph+ cells in their bone pith (where carcenogenic CML cells grow). Of people who took Tasigna, 80% had no Ph+ cells in their bone marrow.

After 5 years of treatment, 60% of people who took Gleevec had a significantly reduced series of carcenogenic genes in their blood. This was compared to 77% of people who took Tasigna.

Also after 5 years of treatment, 91.7% of people who took Gleevec were still alive. That’s compared to 93.7% of people who took Tasigna.

The formula of this investigate advise that Tasigna competence be some-more effective than Gleevec during treating newly diagnosed Ph+ CML in a ongoing phase.

Costs

Gleevec and Tasigna are both brand-name drugs. Tasigna doesn’t have a ubiquitous form, though Gleevec has a ubiquitous form called imatinib. Brand-name drugs customarily cost some-more than generics.

According to estimates on GoodRx.com, brand-name Gleevec competence cost reduction than Tasigna. The ubiquitous form of Gleevec (imatinib) also costs reduction than Tasigna. The tangible cost you’ll compensate for possibly drug depends on your dose, word plan, your location, and a pharmacy we use.

Gleevec vs. Sprycel

You competence consternation how Gleevec compares to other drugs that are prescribed for identical uses. Here we demeanour during how Gleevec and Sprycel are comparison and different.

Uses

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized both Gleevec and Sprycel to provide certain forms of blood cancers.

Both drugs are both FDA-approved to provide newly diagnosed Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML) in a ongoing proviso in adults and children.

CML is divided into 3 phases:

• Chronic phase. This is a initial proviso of CML. Most people are diagnosed with CML during a ongoing phase. Symptoms are customarily mild, if there are any during all.
• Accelerated phase. In this second phase, a series of cancer cells in your blood increases. You competence have some-more symptoms, such as heat and weight loss.
• Blast predicament phase. In this many modernized phase, cancer cells in your blood have widespread to other viscera and tissues. Your symptoms competence be some-more severe.

Gleevec and Sprycel are used to provide Ph+ CML in adults in a ongoing phase.

Gleevec is also used to provide Ph+ CML in adults in a chronic, accelerated, or blast-crisis phases if interferon-alpha therapy didn’t work. Interferon-alpha is a drug that was ordinarily used to provide CML in a past. It’s a synthetic drug that acts like certain defence complement proteins and prevents a expansion of cancer cells.

Sprycel is also used to provide Ph+ CML in adults in a chronic, accelerated, or blast-crisis phases if Gleevec didn’t work.

Both Gleevec and Sprycel are authorized to provide Ph+ CML in a ongoing proviso in children. They are both also authorized to provide Ph+ strident lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in children along with chemotherapy.

Gleevec is also authorized to provide other forms of cancers. See a “Other uses for Gleevec” territory to learn more.

Drug forms and administration

Gleevec contains a drug imatinib. Sprycel contains a drug dasatinib.

Gleevec and Sprycel both come as tablets that we take by mouth (you swallow them).

Gleevec tablets come in dual strengths: 100 mg and 400 mg. It’s taken once or twice a day, depending on your dose.

Sprycel tablets come in a following strengths: 20 mg, 50 mg, 70 mg, 80 mg, 100 mg, and 140 mg. Sprycel is taken once a day.

Side effects and risks

Gleevec and Sprycel are identical though enclose opposite drugs. Therefore, both drugs can means really identical side effects. Below are examples of these side effects.

More common side effects

These lists enclose examples of some-more common side effects that can start with Gleevec, with Sprycel, or with both drugs (when taken individually).

• Can start with Gleevec:
• vomiting
• muscle cramps
• belly pain
• eye-area edema (swelling around eyes)
• Can start with Sprycel:
• trouble breathing
• headache
• bleeding
• weakened defence complement (your physique can’t quarrel infections as well)
• Can start with both Gleevec and Sprycel:
• edema (swelling of your legs, ankles, and feet)
• nausea
• muscle pain
• bone pain
• diarrhea
• rash
• fatigue (lack of energy)

Serious side effects

These lists enclose examples of critical side effects that can start with Gleevec, with Sprycel, or with both drugs (when taken individually).

• Can start with Gleevec:
• heart problems, such as congestive heart failure
• liver damage
• gastrointestinal perforations (holes in your stomach or intestines)
• kidney damage
• hypothyroidism (low thyroid levels) in people who have had their thyroid removed
• Can start with Sprycel:
• pulmonary arterial hypertension (high blood vigour in blood vessels in your lungs)
• long QT interlude (a form of aberrant electrical activity in your heart)
• ischemic heart conflict (lack of oxygen to heart muscles)
• Can start with both Gleevec and Sprycel:
• severe liquid influence (too many liquid or water) around your lungs, heart, and belly
• severe blood disorders (low levels of red blood cells, platelets, or white blood cells)
• severe hemorrhage (bleeding that doesn’t stop)
• severe skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (fever; unpleasant sores on your mouth, throat, eyes, genitals, or whole body)
• tumor lysis syndrome (cancer cells recover damaging chemicals into your blood)
• abnormal heart rate or stroke (heartbeat that’s too fast, too slow, or irregular)
• stunted expansion in children

Effectiveness

Gleevec and Sprycel have opposite FDA-approved uses. But they both provide newly diagnosed Ph+ CML in a ongoing proviso (the initial proviso of CML) in adults and children. Gleevec and Sprycel also both provide Ph+ ALL in children when used in multiple with chemotherapy.

In addition, both Gleevec and Sprycel provide Ph+ CML in a modernized and blast phases in adults, or Ph+ ALL, if other drugs didn’t work for them.

The use of Gleevec and Sprycel in treating newly diagnosed Ph+ CML in adults has been directly compared in a clinical study. Researchers compared people who took possibly 400 mg of Gleevec a day or 100 mg of Sprycel a day.

Within 12 months, 66.2% of people who took Gleevec had no Ph+ cells in their bone pith (where carcenogenic CML cells develop). In a organisation that took Sprycel, 76.8% of a people had no Ph+ cells in their bone marrow.

After 5 years of treatment, an estimated 89.6% of people who took Gleevec were still alive. That’s compared to an estimated 90.9% of people who took Sprycel.

The formula of this investigate advise that Sprycel competence be somewhat some-more effective than Gleevec during treating newly diagnosed Ph+ CML in a ongoing phase.

Costs

Gleevec and Sprycel are both brand-name drugs. Sprycel doesn’t have a ubiquitous form, though Gleevec has a ubiquitous form called imatinib. Brand-name drugs customarily cost some-more than generics.

According to estimates on GoodRx.com, brand-name Gleevec competence cost reduction than Sprycel. The ubiquitous form of Gleevec (imatinib) competence also cost reduction than Sprycel. The tangible cost you’ll compensate for possibly drug depends on your dose, your word plan, your location, and a pharmacy we use.

Gleevec and alcohol

It’s not famous possibly Gleevec and ethanol correlate with any other.

However, your liver metabolizes (breaks down) both Gleevec and alcohol. So celebration too many ethanol while you’re holding Gleevec competence forestall your liver from violation down a drug. This could lift levels of Gleevec in your physique and boost your risk for critical side effects, including liver damage.

Both Gleevec and ethanol can means side effects such as:

• nausea
• diarrhea
• headache
• fatigue (lack of energy)

Drinking ethanol during your Gleevec diagnosis could boost your risk of carrying these side effects.

If we splash alcohol, speak with your alloy about how many is protected for we during your Gleevec treatment.

Gleevec interactions

Gleevec can correlate with several other medications. It can also correlate with certain supplements as good as certain foods.

Different interactions can means opposite effects. For instance, some can meddle with how good a drug works, while others can means boost side effects.

Gleevec and other medications

Below is a list of drugs that can correlate with Gleevec. This list doesn’t enclose all drugs that competence correlate with Gleevec.

Before holding Gleevec, speak with your alloy and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs we take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements we use. Sharing this information can assistance we equivocate intensity interactions.

If we have questions about drug interactions that competence impact you, ask your alloy or pharmacist.

Gleevec and Tylenol

Taking Gleevec with Tylenol (acetaminophen) can boost your risk for critical side effects, such as liver damage.

Enzymes (special proteins) in your liver mangle down both Gleevec and Tylenol. Together, a dual drugs can overcome a enzymes and repairs cells in your liver.

Ask your alloy possibly it’s protected for we to take Tylenol during your Gleevec treatment.

Gleevec and certain seizure medications

Taking Gleevec with certain seizure drugs can diminution Gleevec levels in your body. This can make Gleevec reduction effective (work reduction well).

Examples of seizure drugs that can diminution Gleevec levels include:

• phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek)
• carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol)
• phenobarbital

If you’re holding Gleevec and certain seizure medications, your alloy competence allot a opposite seizure drug or adjust a sip of Gleevec.

Gleevec and certain antibiotics

Taking Gleevec with certain antibiotics (drugs that provide bacterial infections) can boost Gleevec levels in your body. Antibiotics forestall Gleevec from violation down in your body. This increases your risk for critical side effects.

An instance of an antibiotic that can boost Gleevec levels is clarithromycin (Biaxin XL).

If you’re holding Gleevec and need an antibiotic, your alloy competence guard we for side effects. They competence also revoke your Gleevec sip for a time.

Gleevec and certain antifungals

Taking Gleevec with certain antifungals (drugs that provide fungal infections) can forestall a relapse of Gleevec in your body. This can lift Gleevec levels in your blood and boost your risk for critical side effects.

Examples of antifungals that can boost Gleevec levels are:

• itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox, Tolsura)
• ketoconazole (Extina, Ketozole, Xolegel)
• voriconazole (Vfend)

If you’re holding Gleevec and need antifungal treatment, your alloy will guard we for side effects. They competence also revoke your Gleevec sip for a time.

Gleevec and opioids

Taking Gleevec with certain pain drugs can boost levels of a pain reliever in your body. This could make we some-more expected to have critical side effects such as sedation (feeling indolent and reduction alert) and respiratory basin (slow breathing).

Examples of opioid pain drugs that can boost Gleevec levels include:

• oxycodone (Oxycontin, Roxicodone, Xtampza ER)
• tramadol (ConZip, Ultram)
• methadone (Dolophine, Methadose)

Talk with your alloy about possibly it’s protected to take pain remedy during your Gleevec treatment. They competence advise other ways to palliate your pain.

Gleevec and certain HIV medications

Taking Gleevec with certain HIV drugs can boost your risk for critical side effects. Certain HIV drugs can forestall Gleevec from violation down, heading to aloft levels of Gleevec in your body.

Examples of HIV drugs that can boost Gleevec levels include:

• atazanavir (Reyataz)
• nevirapine (Viramune)
• saquinavir (Invirase)

Another HIV medication, efavirenz (Sustiva), can diminution levels of Gleevec in your body. This can means Gleevec to be reduction effective.

Many HIV drugs come as multiple tablets, that means they embody some-more than one drug. So be certain to speak with your alloy about all a HIV drugs we take.

If we need to take Gleevec with certain HIV medications, your alloy competence change your Gleevec dosage.

Gleevec and certain blood vigour medications

Taking Gleevec with certain blood vigour drugs can boost or diminution a levels of possibly drug in your body. This could make we some-more expected to have side effects or revoke how good a drugs work.

Example of these drugs embody verapamil (Calan, Tarka).

If we need to take Gleevec with any of these medications, your alloy will guard we some-more closely for side effects. They competence also adjust a sip of possibly remedy or suggest a opposite drug.

Gleevec and warfarin

Taking Gleevec with warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) can boost your risk for bleeding. Gleevec prevents warfarin from violation down in your body. This increases levels of warfarin and can lead to draining that’s tough to control.

If we need an anticoagulant (blood thinner) while holding Gleevec, your alloy will expected allot a drug other than warfarin.

Gleevec and St. John’s wort

Taking Gleevec with St. John’s wort can diminution levels of Gleevec in your body. This can make Gleevec reduction effective (not work as well).

Ask your alloy possibly St. John’s wort is protected for we to take during your Gleevec treatment. They competence suggest an choice to St. John’s Wort or boost your Gleevec dose.

Gleevec and grapefruit

Eating grapefruit or celebration grapefruit extract during your Gleevec diagnosis can boost your risk for critical side effects. Grapefruit contains chemicals that forestall Gleevec from violation down in your body. This causes increasing levels of Gleevec, that can lead to some-more critical side effects.

Be certain to equivocate eating grapefruit and celebration grapefruit extract during your Gleevec treatment.

How to take Gleevec

Be certain to take Gleevec according to your alloy or medical provider’s instructions.

When to take

For Gleevec doses of 600 mg or less, a drug should be taken once a day. You can take it during any time.

If your alloy prescribes 800 mg of Gleevec a day, you’ll take it in dual doses: 400 mg in a morning and 400 mg in a evening.

Your alloy will give we instructions on when we should take your dose.

Taking Gleevec with food

Take Gleevec with a dish and a vast potion of water. This can assistance forestall an dissapoint stomach.

Can Gleevec be crushed, split, or chewed?

You shouldn’t crush, split, or gnaw Gleevec tablets. Crushed and separate tablets can be damaging to any skin or other physique tools that come in hit with them.

If we have difficulty swallowing Gleevec tablets, place a inscription in a vast potion of H2O or apple juice. Stir a H2O with a ladle to assistance a inscription dissolve. Then splash a reduction right away.

How Gleevec works

Gleevec contains a drug imatinib, that belongs to a category of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Medications in a TKI drug category are targeted therapies. They impact really specific proteins in cancer cells.

Gleevec is authorized to provide several opposite conditions. Here we’ll try how Gleevec works to provide dual of them.

For Ph+ CML

In Philadelphia-positive (Ph+) ongoing myeloid leukemia (CML), a cells that emanate white blood cells have a mistake in their genetic makeup. This genetic mistake is found on a DNA strand called a Philadelphia chromosome.

The Philadelphia chromosome contains an aberrant gene (BCR-ABL1) that causes too many white blood cells to form. These white blood cells don’t mature and die like they’re ostensible to. Immature white blood cells called “blasts” throng out other forms of blood cells that your blood needs to work correctly.

Gleevec works by attaching to a protein, called tyrosine kinase, in cells done by BCR-ABL1. When Gleevec binds to this protein, a drug prevents a dungeon from promulgation signals that tell a dungeon to grow. Without these expansion signals, a carcenogenic blood cells die. This helps revive a series of blast cells to a healthier number.

For GIST

Gleevec also helps provide gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). In many GIST expansion cells, there are a aloft series of certain proteins, called Kit and platelet-derived expansion means (PDGF), than in normal cells. These proteins assistance cancer cells grow and divide.

Gleevec targets these proteins and prevents them from working. This slows a expansion of cancer. It also causes cancer cells to die.

How prolonged does it take to work?

It depends. The timing of when Gleevec starts to work is opposite for any person.

Clinical studies looked during people with CML who took Gleevec. In one month, a series of carcenogenic cells in a blood was reduced in about half of a people in a blast predicament theatre (advanced theatre of CML). In studies of people with GIST who took Gleevec, a tumors stopped flourishing or shrank in 3 months.

Your alloy will customarily guard your blood to see if Gleevec is operative for you.

Gleevec and pregnancy

You should equivocate Gleevec if you’re pregnant. There have been reports of miscarriages and mistreat to a fetus in women who took Gleevec while pregnant. And in animal studies, profound females who were given Gleevec had an increasing risk for birth defects.

If you’re pregnant, your alloy competence advise we to wait until after you’ve given birth to start holding Gleevec. Or they will suggest a opposite drug.

If you’re holding Gleevec, it’s critical to use effective birth control so we don’t turn pregnant. After we take your final sip of Gleevec, keep regulating birth control for 14 days.

Gleevec and breastfeeding

Studies uncover that Gleevec passes into tellurian breast milk. This can means critical mistreat to a breastfeeding infant.

If you’re breastfeeding and deliberation holding Gleevec, your alloy competence advise we to stop breastfeeding when we start treatment.

After we take your final sip of Gleevec, wait during slightest one month before we start breastfeeding.

Gleevec overdose

Taking too many Gleevec can boost your risk for critical side effects.

Overdose symptoms

Symptoms of an overdose can include:

• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• belly pain
• severe rash
• muscle spasms (twitches)
• headache
• lack of appetite
• muscle weakness
• fatigue (lack of energy)
• swelling
• blood disorders, such as low levels of platelets, red blood cells, or white blood cells
• fever

What to do in box of overdose

If we consider you’ve taken too many of this drug, call your doctor. You can also call a American Association of Poison Control Centers during 800-222-1222 or use their online tool. But if your symptoms are severe, call 911 or go to a nearest puncture room right away.

Common questions about Gleevec

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Gleevec.

Is Gleevec a form of chemotherapy?

Gleevec isn’t technically a form of chemotherapy. Gleev