Imatinib Mesylate
This page contains brief information about imatinib mesylate and a collection of links to more information about the use of this drug, research results, and ongoing clinical trials.
FDA label information for this drug is available at DailyMed.
Use in Cancer
Imatinib mesylate is approved to treat:
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults and children that is Philadelphia chromosome positive. In adults, it is used for cancer that has come back or does not respond to treatment. In children, it is used with chemotherapy as the first treatment after the cancer is diagnosed.
- Chronic eosinophilic leukemia or hypereosinophilic syndrome in adults.
- Chronic myelogenous leukemia that is Philadelphia chromosome positive. It is used in adults and children with:
- Newly-diagnosed chronic phase cancer.
- Chronic phase, accelerated phase, or blastic phase cancer that got worse after interferon-alpha therapy.
- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans in adults whose cancer has come back, has spread to other parts of the body, and/or cannot be removed by surgery.
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) that is KIT positive and cannot be removed by surgery and/or has spread to other parts of the body. It is also used after surgery to completely remove the tumor in adults with KIT-positive cancer.
- Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms in adults.
- Systemic mastocytosis that is aggressive and has a certain mutation in the c-KIT gene.
Imatinib mesylate is also being studied in the treatment of other conditions and types of cancer.
More About Imatinib Mesylate
Definition from the NCI Drug Dictionary - Detailed scientific definition and other names for this drug.
MedlinePlus Information on Imatinib Mesylate - A lay language summary of important information about this drug that may include the following:
- warnings about this drug,
- what this drug is used for and how it is used,
- what you should tell your doctor before using this drug,
- what you should know about this drug before using it,
- other drugs that may interact with this drug, and
- possible side effects.
Drugs are often studied to find out if they can help treat or prevent conditions other than the ones they are approved for. This patient information sheet applies only to approved uses of the drug. However, much of the information may also apply to unapproved uses that are being studied.
Research Results and Related Resources
Targeted Therapy to Treat Cancer
Clinical Trials Accepting Patients
Find Clinical Trials for Imatinib Mesylate - Check for trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials now accepting patients.