What are the current treatments for CML?
Currently, chronic phase CML is almost always treated with imatinib (Gleevec). Gleevec, which was approved in 2001 as front-line treatment for CML, is a type of drug called a tyrosine kinase inhibitor and works by blocking the tyrosine kinase enzyme which produces the disease white blood cells (blast cells). The 8-year survival rate for Gleevec is 85 percent, meaning that the disease is in remission for 85 percent of people who have been taking Gleevec since the drug was first approved. About 15 to 20 percent of people with chronic phase CML are not able to take Gleevec either because they don’t respond to treatment or they cannot tolerate the side effects, according to Dr. Kalaycio. The goal in treatment of chronic phase CML is to kill all cells that have the BCR-ABL cancer gene and bring blood cell levels to a normal range. In June 2010, the FDA approved the drug nilotinib (Tasigna) to treat newly diagnosed adult patients with chronic phase CML who test positive for the Philadelphia
