Use and Tolerability of Imatinib Mesylate (Gleevec) in Leukemia Patients

Imatinib mesylate is an FDA-approved, commercially available drug for patients with acute or chronic leukemias carrying the Philadelphia chromosome. Women who are able to have children must have a negative blood pregnancy test before taking this drug No earlier than three weeks after the bone marrow or stem cell transplant, you will start taking imatinib mesylate by mouth. You will take it once or twice a day until roughly 100 days following the transplant or until you are released from the Houston area by your M. D. Anderson physician. Imatinib mesylate should be taken with a meal and a glass of water, preferably in the morning. The dose will be gradually increased as long as you don't experience severe side effects. If severe side effects occur, imatinib will be stopped, either temporarily or permanently. After about 100 days (or after leaving Houston) the medication may be continued at the discretion of the study doctor, but the study will be considered completed. This is an investigational study. A total of up to 40 patients will take part in this study. All will be enrolled at M. D. Anderson. The study is partially funded by the manufacturer of imatinib mesylate (see below), although the drug is not provided free of charge.