通用名称：甲磺酸伊马替尼胶囊
英文名称：veenat
汉语拼音：Jia Huang Suan Yi Ma Ti Ni Jiao Nang
[成分]
甲磺酸伊马替尼
甲磺酸伊马替尼的化学名称为4-[(4-甲基-1-哌嗪)甲基]-N-[4-甲基-3-[[4-(3-吡啶)-2-嘧啶]氨基]苯基]-苯胺甲磺酸盐，分子式为C29H31N7O·CH4SO3，分子量为589.7。

[性状]
本品胶囊内容物为白色至类白色粉末。

[适应症]
用于治疗慢性粒细胞白血病(CML)急变期、加速期或α-干扰素治疗失败后的慢性期患者 ；不能手术切除或发生转移的恶性胃肠道间质肿瘤（GIST）患者。

[规格]
100mg x 120 粒

[用法用量]
开始剂量 ：对慢性粒细胞白血病急变期和加速期患者，甲磺酸伊马替尼的推荐剂量为600 mg/日 ；对干扰素治疗失败的慢性期患者，以及不能手术切除或发生转移的恶性胃肠道间质肿瘤（GIST）患者，推荐剂量为400 mg/日，均为每日1次口服，宜在进餐时服药，并饮一大杯水，只要有效，就应持续服用。
如果血象许可，没有严重药物不良反应，在下列情况下剂量可考虑从400 mg/日增加到600 mg/日，或从600 mg/日增加到800 mg/日（400 mg，分2次服用）：疾病进展、治疗至少3个月后未能获得满意的血液学反应，已取得的血液学反应重新消失。
下列情况中必须调整剂量 ：如治疗过程中出现严重非血液学不良反应（如严重水潴留），宜停药，直到不良反应消失，随后再根据该不良反应的严重程度调整剂量。
严重肝脏毒副作用时剂量的调整 ：如胆红质升高超过正常范围上限3倍或转氨酶升高超过正常范围上限5倍，宜停药，直到上述指标分别降到正常范围上限的1.5或2.5倍以下。
中性粒细胞减少或血小板减少时剂量的调整 ：加速期或急变期 ：如果出现严重中性粒细胞和血小板减少（中性粒细胞<0.5×109/L和/或血小板<10×109/L，建议剂量减少到400 mg/日。如果血细胞持续减少2周，则进一步减少剂量到300 mg/日，如血细胞持续减少4周，宜停药，直到中性粒细胞≥ (greater than or equal to) 1.0×109/L和血小板≥ (greater than or equal to) 20×109/L。再用时剂量为300 mg/日。
α-干扰素治疗失败后慢性期患者 ：当中性粒细胞<1.0×109/L和/或血小板<50×109/L时宜停药，仅在中性粒细胞≥ (greater than or equal to) 1.5×109/L和血小板≥ (greater than or equal to) 75×109/L时再恢复用药，剂量为400 mg/日，如中性粒细胞或血小板重新减少到上述数值时，再恢复用药时剂量减至300 mg/日。
儿童和青少年 ：尚无18岁以下患者使用甲磺酸伊马替尼治疗的安全性和有效性临床资料。
肝功能衰竭患者的剂量 ：有肝功能损害者甲磺酸伊马替尼的血浆浓度可以升高，因此这些患者用本药时要谨慎，目前尚无肝功能损害患者使用甲磺酸伊马替尼的临床资料，无法提出剂量调整的建议。
肾功能衰竭和老年患者的剂量 ：已知肌酐清除率可随年龄老化而降低，而年龄对甲磺酸伊马替尼的药代动力学无明显影响，由于尚未在肾功能损害患者中进行过临床试验，故无法提出剂量调整的建议。

[不良反应]
多数患者在服用甲磺酸伊马替尼期间会出现一些不良反应，但绝大多数属轻到中度。考虑到疾病本身也会产生症状，常难以明确他们的因果关系。临床试验过程中，因药物相关的不良反应而停药者，在α-干扰素治疗失败的慢粒慢性期患者中仅占1%，加速期中约占2%，慢粒急变期占5%。
最常见与药物治疗相关的不良事件有轻度恶心（50-60%），呕吐，腹泻、肌痛及肌痉挛，这些不良事件均容易处理。所有研究中均报告有浮肿和水潴留，发生率分别为47-59%和7-13%，其中严重者分别为1-3%和1-2%。大多数患者的浮肿表现为眶周和下肢浮肿，也有报告为胸水、腹水、肺水肿和体重迅速增加的，此时通常暂停药，用利尿剂或给予某些支持治疗。个别患者情况严重，甚至威胁生命。有1例慢粒急变患者因并发胸水、充血性心力衰竭和肾功能衰竭的复杂临床情况而死亡。这些不良反应的发生率与剂量有一定关系，多见于每天≥ (greater than or equal to) 600 mg时。
按系统器官分类及发生的频度，将不只是发生于个别患者的不良反应罗列如下。频度的定义为 ：很常见>10%，常见>1%≤ (smaller than or equal to) 10%，偶见>0.1%≤ (smaller than or equal to) 1%，罕见>0.01%≤ (smaller than or equal to) 0.1%，非常罕见≤ (smaller than or equal to) 0.01%（CIOMS分类法）。
全身性异常 ：很常见 ：水潴留（10%）和周身浮肿（两者共51%）。常见 ：发热、疲劳、乏力、畏寒和体重增加。不常见 ：不适、出血和体重减轻。
传染病/感染 ：不常见 ：败血症、肺炎、单纯疱疹、带状疱疹和上呼吸道感染。
血液与淋巴系统异常 ：很常见 ：中性粒细胞减少（14%）、血小板减少（14%）和贫血（11%）。常见 ：发热性中性粒细胞减少、全血细胞减少。
代谢和营养失衡 ：常见 ：食欲不振。不常见 ：脱水、高尿酸血症、低钾血症、高钾血症，低钠血症、食欲增加。
精神异常 ：不常见 ：抑郁症。
神经系统异常 ：很常见 ：头痛（11%）。常见 ：头晕、味觉障碍、感觉异常、失眠。不常见 ：出血性卒中、晕厥、周围神经病变、感觉减退、嗜唾、偏头痛。
眼异常 ：常见 ：结膜炎、流泪增多。不常见 ：眼刺激症状、视力模糊、结膜出血、眼干、眶周浮肿。
耳和迷路异常 ：不常见 ：头晕。
心脏异常 ：不常见 ：心力衰竭、肺水肿、心动过速。
血管异常 ：不常见 ：血肿、高血压、低血压、潮红、四肢发冷。
呼吸道、胸和纵隔异常 常见 ：胸水、鼻衄。不常见 ：呼吸困难、咳嗽。
消化系统异常 ：很常见 ：恶心（56%）、呕吐（33%）、腹泻（24%）、消化不良（12%）。常见 ：腹痛、腹胀、胀气、便秘、口干。不常见 ：胃肠道出血、黑便、腹水、胃溃疡、胃炎、胃食道反流、口腔溃疡。
肝胆系统异常 ：不常见 ：黄疸、肝酶升高、高胆红质血症。
皮肤和皮下组织异常 ：很常见 ：周身浮肿（30%）、皮炎/湿疹/皮疹（共25%）。常见 ：脸肿、眶周肿、瘙痒、红皮症、皮肤干燥、脱发、盗汗。不常见 ：瘀斑、多汗、荨麻疹、指甲断裂、光过敏反应、紫癜。
骨骼肌、结缔组织和骨异常 ：很常见 ：肌痉挛、疼痛性肌痉挛（33%）、骨骼肌肉痛包括关节肿胀（25%）。不常见 ：坐骨神经痛。
肾和泌尿系统异常 ：不常见 ：肾衰、肌酐升高。
生殖系和乳房异常 ：不常见 ：男性乳房女性化、乳房肿大、阴囊水肿。
实验室检查异常 所有研究均报告有血细胞减少，尤其是中性粒细胞和血小板减少，以≥ (greater than or equal to) 750 mg/日的大剂量时发生率为高（I期研究），然而血细胞减少的发生率也明显取决于病期，3或4度的中性粒细胞减少（ANC<1.0×109/L）和血小板减少（<50×109/L），在急变期和加速期发生率分别为58-62%和42-58%，相比之下在慢性期分别只有33%和17%，前者为后者的2-3倍。4度中性粒细胞减少（ANC<0.5×109/L）和血小板减少（<10×109/L）发生率分别只有8%和1%。中性粒细胞和血小板减少发生的中位数持续时间分别为2-3周和3-4周，仅少数病例需为此而长期停药。
严重的转氨酶或胆红质升高少见（<3%病例，常需减量或停药（中位数持续时间约为1周），只有不到0.5%患者由此而长期停药。有1例加速期患者死于急性肝功能衰竭，但该例患者尚不能排除大剂量扑热息痛与甲磺酸伊马替尼的药物相互反应的结果。

[禁忌]
对本药活性物质或任何赋形剂成份过敏者禁用。

[注意事项]
一开始治疗就应由对慢性粒细胞白血病有治疗经验的医师进行。
大约有1-2%服用甲磺酸伊马替尼的患者发生严重水潴留（胸水、浮肿、肺水肿和腹水），因此建议定期监测体重，如用药过程中体重出乎意料地快速增加，应作详细检查，必要时采取适当支持治疗和处理措施。
水潴留可以加重或导致心衰，目前尚无严重心衰者（按纽约心脏学会分类法的III-IV级）临床应用甲磺酸伊马替尼的经验。对这些患者用本药要谨慎。
肝功能衰竭患者甲磺酸伊马替尼的量可能会增加，有肝功损害者慎用本药。
有关本药安全性和有效性的长期临床资料尚有限。
临床前研究表明，甲磺酸伊马替尼不易通过血脑屏障。尚未在人体进行过研究。
甲磺酸伊马替尼治疗第1个月宜每周查1次全血象，第2个月每2周查1次，以后则视需要而定（如每2－3个月查1次）。若发生严重中性粒细胞或血小板减少，应调整剂量。
开始治疗前应检查肝功能（包括转氨酶、胆红质和碱性磷酸酶），随后每月查1次或根据临床情况决定，必要时宜调整剂量。
对驾驶员和机器操纵者能力的影响 尚无有关对驾驶员或机器操纵者能力可能发生的影响的信息和资料。

[孕妇及哺乳期妇女用药]
妊娠 ：动物研究表明本药对生殖系统有毒性作用，但目前尚缺乏孕妇使用的资料，对胎儿可能的毒性目前不详。除非使用后可能的好处大于对胎儿/婴儿的危害，否则妊娠期间不宜应用。如妊娠期间服用甲磺酸伊马替尼，必须告诉其对胎儿可能的危害。生育期妇女在服用甲磺酸伊马替尼期间应劝其同时进行有效的避孕。
哺乳 ：在动物实验中，甲磺酸伊马替尼及其代谢产物大量从乳汁中排出，但未进行过人体研究，用甲磺酸伊马替尼的妇女不应哺乳。

[儿童用药]
个别样本中，儿童血浆浓度可升高1.5- 2倍，这一数据尚不足以作为推荐儿童药物剂量的依据。

[老年患者用药]
已知肌酐清除率可随年龄老化而降低，而年龄对甲磺酸伊马替尼的药代动力学无明显影响。

[药物相互作用]
可改变甲磺酸伊马替尼血浆浓度的药物
CYP3A4抑制剂 ：健康志愿者同时服用单剂酮康唑（CYP3A4抑制剂）后，甲磺酸伊马替尼的药物暴露量大大增加（平均最高血浆浓度和曲线下面积可分别增加26%和40%，因此同时服用甲磺酸伊马替尼和CYP3A4抑制剂（如酮康唑、伊曲康唑、红霉素和克拉仙）时必须谨慎。
CYP3A4诱导剂 ：在临床研究中发现，同时给予苯妥英药物后，甲磺酸伊马替尼的血浆浓度降低，疗效减低。其它诱导剂如地塞米松、卡他咪嗪、利福平、苯巴比妥和含有St John麦汁浸膏制剂等，可能有类似问题，但尚未进行专门研究，因此同时服用这些药物时须谨慎。
甲磺酸伊马替尼可使下列药物改变血浆浓度 甲磺酸伊马替尼使辛伐他丁（CYP3A4底物）的平均Cmax和AUC分别增加2倍和3.5倍。当同时服用本药和治疗窗狭窄的CYP3A4底物（如环孢素、哌咪清）时应谨慎。甲磺酸伊马替尼可增加经CYP3A4代谢的其他药物（如苯二氮类、双氢吡啶、钙离子拮抗剂、和HMG－COA还原酶抑制剂等）的血浆浓度。
在与抑制CYP3A4活性相似的浓度下，甲磺酸伊马替尼还可在体外抑制细胞色素P450异构酶CYP2D6的活性，因此在与甲磺酸伊马替尼同时服用时，有可能增加全身与CYP2D6底物的接触量，尽管尚未作专门研究，用药时仍应谨慎。
甲磺酸伊马替尼在体外还可抑制CYD2C9和CYD2C19的活性，同时服用华法令后可见到凝血酶原时间延长。因此在甲磺酸伊马替尼治疗的始末或更改剂量时，若同时在用双香豆素，宜短期监测凝血酶原时间。
应告知病人避免使用含有扑热息痛的非处方药和处方药。

[药物过量]
剂量超过800 mg的经验尚少，也无剂量过量的病例报告。若发生过量，应密切观察病人，并给予适当的支持治疗。

[药物毒理]
甲磺酸伊马替尼在体内外均可在细胞水平上抑制Bcr-Abl酪氨酸激酶，能选择性抑制Bcr-Abl阳性细胞系细胞、Ph染色体阳性的慢性粒细胞白血病和急性淋巴细胞白血病病人的新鲜细胞的增殖和诱导其凋亡。此外，甲磺酸伊马替尼还可抑制血小板衍化生长因子（PDGF）受体、干细胞因子(SCF)，c-Kit受体的酪氨酸激酶，从而抑制由PDGF和干细胞因子介导的细胞行为。
临床前和临床数据提示，有些病人可通过不同的机制产生耐药性。
临床研究参见以下表格。

注1：细胞遗传学反应指标 ：相应细胞遗传学疗效包括完全反应和部分反应。完全反应 ：分裂细胞中Ph染色体阳性细胞消失。部分反应 ：分裂细胞中，Ph染色体阳性细胞为1-35%。
对Ph染色体阳性的慢性粒细胞白血病急变期（髓性原始细胞危象）、加速期和经α-干扰素治疗失败的慢性期患者进行了3组开放、非对照性的II期临床研究。
临床研究病例中，40%患者的年龄≥ (greater than or equal to) 60岁，10-12%≥ (greater than or equal to) 70岁。
加速期 ：（235例，其中63%患者在加速期已接受过其他治疗，235例患者中77例接受甲磺酸伊马替尼400 mg，每日1次 ；158例接受600 mg，每日1次）。结果63%患者获得确切的血液学反应，28%患者获得完全血液学反应，21%患者获得主要细胞遗传学反应（即分裂中Ph染色体阳性细胞减少到<35%，14%获得完全细胞遗传学缓解。以血液学缓解为主要终点的分析，发现400 mg和600 mg剂量组之间无明显差异，但600 mg剂量组的细胞遗传学反应改善更明显，其持续时间更长。本研究中，600 mg剂量组的疾病出现进展所需的时间明显不同。
急变期（髓性原始细胞危象） ：（260例，95例[37%]在进入加速期或急变期后均已接受过化疗，另165例[63%]此前未接受过化疗。223例开始治疗的剂量为600 mg, 每日1次）。以不同的完全血液学反应作为主要疗效进行统计，26%获得了肯定的血液学反应（未接受过治疗患者为30%，经过治疗的患者为19%），13.5%患者观察到主要细胞遗传学反应。未接受和接受过治疗的患者的中位存活时间分别为7.1和5.2个月。
干扰素治疗失败的患者（慢性期） ：（532例，开始剂量400 mg，每日1次）患者的49%获得了主要细胞遗传学反应，30%获得了完全反应，88%获得了完全血液学反应。

[药代动力学]
本研究的药代动力学系单剂量口服25-1000 mg甲磺酸伊马替尼并达稳态后测定。
甲磺酸伊马替尼剂量在25-1000 mg范围内，其平均曲线下面积（AUC）的增加与剂量间存在比例性关系。重复给药的药物累积量可达稳态时的1.5-2.5倍。成人人群药代动力学研究表明，性别对药代动力学无影响，体重的影响也可忽略而不计。
吸收 胶囊剂的平均绝对生物利用度为98%，口服1次甲磺酸伊马替尼后血浆AUC的变异系数波动在40-60%之间。与空腹时比较，高脂饮食后本药吸收率减少甚微（Cmax减少11%，Tmax延长），AUC略减少（7.4%）。
分布 约95%与血浆蛋白结合，绝大多数是与白蛋白结合，少部分与α-酸性糖蛋白结合，只有极少部分与脂蛋白结合。整个机体内的总体分布浓度较高，分布容量为4.9 L/kg体重，但红细胞内分布比率较低。体内组织中有关药物分布情况仅来源于临床前的资料。肾上腺和性腺中摄取水平高，中枢神经系统中摄取水平低。
代谢 人体内主要循环代谢产物是N-去甲基哌嗪衍生物，在体外其药效与原药相似。该代谢物的血浆AUC是原药甲磺酸伊马替尼AUC的16%。甲磺酸伊马替尼是CYP3A4的底物，又是CYP3A4、CYP2D6、CYP2C9和CYP2C19的抑制剂，因此，可影响同时给予药物的代谢。
排泄 甲磺酸伊马替尼的清除半衰期为18小时，其活性代谢产物半衰期为40小时，7天内约可排泄所给药物剂量的81%，其中从大便中排泄68%，尿中排泄13%。约25%为原药（尿中5%，大便中20%），其余为代谢产物，大便和尿中活性代谢产物和原药的比例相似。
肝肾功能衰竭 对肝、肾功能衰竭病人未进行过临床研究，这些患者应用甲磺酸伊马替尼时要谨慎。已知甲磺酸伊马替尼的排泄很少经肾脏，估计肾功能衰竭患者服用不会出现问题。

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 Glivec

Active Substance: imatinib 
Common Name: imatinib 
ATC Code: L01XE01
Marketing Authorisation Holder: Novartis Europharm Ltd
Active Substance: imatinib 
Status: Authorised
Authorisation Date: 2001-11-07
Therapeutic Area: Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Myelodysplastic-Myeloproliferative Diseases Dermatofibrosarcoma Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma Hypereosinophilic Syndrome
Pharmacotherapeutic Group: Antineoplastic agents

Therapeutic Indication

Glivec is indicated for the treatment of

adult and paediatric patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia-chromosome (bcr-abl)-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) for whom bone-marrow transplantation is not considered as the first line of treatment;adult and paediatric patients with Ph+ CML in chronic phase after failure of interferon-alpha therapy, or in accelerated phase or blast crisis;adult and paediatric patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia-chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Ph+ ALL) integrated with chemotherapy;adult patients with relapsed or refractory Ph+ ALL as monotherapy;adult patients with myelodysplastic / myeloproliferative diseases (MDS / MPD) associated with platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) gene re-arrangements;adult patients with advanced hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) and / or chronic eosinophilic leukaemia (CEL) with FIP1L1-PDGFRa rearrangement.

The effect of Glivec on the outcome of bone-marrow transplantation has not been determined.

Glivec is indicated for:

the treatment of adult patients with Kit (CD 117)-positive unresectable and / or metastatic malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST);the adjuvant treatment of adult patients who are at significant risk of relapse following resection of Kit (CD117)-positive GIST. Patients who have a low or very low risk of recurrence should not receive adjuvant treatment;the treatment of adult patients with unresectable dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) and adult patients with recurrent and / or metastatic DFSP who are not eligible for surgery.

In adult and paediatric patients, the effectiveness of Glivec is based on overall haematological and cytogenetic response rates and progression-free survival in CML, on haematological and cytogenetic response rates in Ph+ ALL, MDS / MPD, on haematological response rates in HES / CEL and on objective response rates in adult patients with unresectable and / or metastatic GIST and DFSP and on recurrence-free survival in adjuvant GIST. The experience with Glivec in patients with MDS / MPD associated with PDGFR gene re-arrangements is very limited (see section 5.1). Except in newly diagnosed chronic phase CML, there are no controlled trials demonstrating a clinical benefit or increased survival for these diseases.

What is Glivec?

Glivec is a medicine that contains the active substance imatinib. It is available as capsules (50 and 100 mg) and tablets (100 and 400 mg).

What is Glivec used for?

Glivec is an anticancer medicine. It is used to treat the following diseases:

chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), a cancer of the white blood cells in which granulocytes (a type of white blood cell) start growing out of control. Glivec is used when the patients are ‘Philadelphia-chromosome-positive’ (Ph+). This means that some of their genes have re-arranged themselves to form a special chromosome called the Philadelphia chromosome. Glivec is used in adults and children who have been newly diagnosed with Ph+ CML and who are not eligible for a bone-marrow transplant. It is also used in adults and children in the ‘chronic phase’ of the disease if it is not responding to interferon alpha (another anticancer medicine), and in more advanced phases of the disease (‘accelerated phase’ and ‘blast crisis’);Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a type of cancer in which lymphocytes (another type of white blood cell) multiply too quickly. Glivec is used in combination with other anticancer medicines in adults who have been newly diagnosed with Ph+ ALL. It is also used alone to treat Ph+ ALL that has returned following previous treatment, or is not responding to other medicines;myelodysplastic or myeloproliferative diseases (MD / MPD), a group of diseases in which the body produces large numbers of abnormal blood cells. Glivec is used to treat adults with MD / MPD who have re-arrangements of the gene for platelet-derived-growth-factor receptor (PDGFR);advanced hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) or chronic eosinophilic leukaemia (CEL), diseases in which eosinophils (another type of white blood cell) start growing out of control. Glivec is used to treat adults with HES or CEL who have a specific re-arrangement of two genes called FIP1L1 and PDGFRα;gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST), a type of cancer (sarcoma) of the stomach and bowel, when there is uncontrolled growth of cells in the supporting tissues of these organs. Glivec is used to treat adults with GIST that cannot be removed with surgery or have spread to other parts of the body, and adults who are at risk of GIST coming back after surgical removal;dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), a type of cancer (sarcoma) in which cells in the tissue beneath the skin divide uncontrollably. Glivec is used to treat adults with DFSP that cannot be removed with surgery, and in adults who are not eligible for surgery when the cancer has returned after treatment or has spread to other parts of the body.

The medicine can only be obtained with a prescription.

How is Glivec used?

Glivec treatment should be started by a doctor who has experience in the treatment of patients with cancers of the blood or solid tumours. Glivec is given by mouth with a meal and a large glass of water to reduce the risk of irritation of the stomach and gut. The dose depends on the disease being treated, the age and condition of the patient, and the response to treatment, but it should not exceed 800 mg a day. For more information, see the package leaflet.

How does Glivec work?

The active substance in Glivec, imatinib, is a protein-tyrosine-kinase inhibitor. This means that it blocks some specific enzymes known as tyrosine kinases. These enzymes can be found in some receptors on the surface of cancer cells, including the receptors that are involved in stimulating the cells to divide uncontrollably. By blocking these receptors, Glivec helps to control cell division.

How has Glivec been studied?

For CML, Glivec has been examined in four main studies involving 2,133 adults and one study of 54 children. These included a study involving 1,106 adults that compared Glivec with the combination of interferon alpha plus cytarabine (other anticancer medicines). This study measured how long the patients lived without their cancer getting worse.

For ALL, Glivec has been examined in three studies involving 456 adults, including one study comparing Glivec with standard chemotherapy (medicines used to kill cancer cells) in 55 newly diagnosed patients.

For GIST, Glivec has been examined in two main studies. One involved 147 patients whose GIST could not be surgically removed or had spread to other parts of the body, and looked at whether the tumours shrank in size. This study did not compare Glivec with any other medicines. The other study compared Glivec with placebo (a dummy treatment) in 713 patients whose cancer had been removed with surgery. This study measured how long the patients lived without their cancer coming back. 

For MD / MPD (31 patients), HES and CEL (176 patients), and DFSP (18 patients), Glivec was not compared with any other medicines. These studies examined whether blood cell counts returned to normal levels, or whether the number of cancerous blood cells or the size of tumours fell. 

What benefit has Glivec shown during the studies?

Glivec was more effective than the comparator medicines. In patients with CML, the cancer had got worse in 16% of the patients taking Glivec after five years, compared with 28% of those taking interferon alpha plus cytarabine. Glivec was also better than standard chemotherapy in patients with ALL. In patients with GIST that had been removed with surgery, patients taking Glivec lived for longer than those taking placebo without their cancer coming back. In the non-comparative studies of CML, ALL and GIST, between 26 and 96% of patients showed a response to Glivec. Due to their rarity, limited data were available for the other diseases, but around two thirds of the patients showed at least a partial response to Glivec.

What is the risk associated with Glivec?

The most common side effects with Glivec (seen in more than 1 in 10 patients) are weight increase, neutropenia (low levels of the white blood cells that fight infection), thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet counts), anaemia (low red-blood-cell counts), headache, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting, diarrhoea, dyspepsia (indigestion), abdominal (tummy) pain, oedema (fluid retention), rash, muscle spasm and cramps, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue (tiredness). For the full list of all side effects reported with Glivec, see the package leaflet. 

Glivec must not be used in people who are hypersensitive (allergic) to imatinib or any of the other ingredients.

Why has Glivec been approved?

The CHMP decided that Glivec’s benefits are greater than its risks and recommended that it be given marketing authorisation.

Other information about Glivec

The European Commission granted a marketing authorisation valid throughout the European Union for Glivec on 7 November 2001.

Source: European Medicines Agency