What was the problem with Gleevec?

What was the problem with Gleevec?

Tyrosine kinases present attractive drug targets for specific types of cancers. Gleevec, a well-known therapeutic agent against chronic myelogenous leukemia, is an effective inhibitor of Abl tyrosine kinase. However, Gleevec fails to inhibit closely homologous tyrosine kinases, such as c-Src.

What type of cancer does Gleevec treat?

This medication is used to treat certain types of cancer (such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases). It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells.

Is Gleevec a chemotherapy drug?

When compared with harsher chemotherapy drugs, Gleevec has been shown to produce fewer, milder side effects. Swallowing a pill is also easier on patients than injections or lengthy infusions. It may well turn out to be a transformative treatment for other cancers and other types of diseases.

Does Gleevec cure leukemia?

Gleevec has been shown to substantially reduce the level of cancerous cells in the bone marrow and blood of treated patients. In clinical trials, 90 percent of patients in the first phase of CML went into remission within the first six months of taking Gleevec.

Why is Gleevec so significant?

In particular, the discovery and development of Gleevec taught scientists that by understanding the biology of a disease, it is possible to learn how to treat or cure that disease.

Is imatinib Gleevec a competitive inhibitor?

Imatinib is a potent competitive inhibitor of ATP binding to Abl kinase, as well as to the c-Kit and PDGF receptor tyrosine kinases.

Why might Gleevec not work to cure other types of cancer?

This abnormally fused kinase protein is only present in cancer cells. In the cancer cells, the kinase is inhibited and the cells are stopped from dividing. In non-cancer cells the fused kinase protein doesn’t exist, therefore, Gleevec has nothing to bind to and has NO EFFECT.

How successful is Gleevec?

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

How long does it take for Gleevec to start working?

However, 25% of patients showed best response before 58 days of treatment (about 2 months), and 25% needed over 172 days (about 6 months).

Can imatinib be stopped?

Interpretation: Imatinib can be safely discontinued in patients with a CMR of at least 2 years duration. Imatinib discontinuation in this setting yields promising results for molecular relapse-free survival, raising the possibility that, at least in some patients, CML might be cured with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

How long does it take for Gleevec to work?

How long do you stay on Gleevec?

Life Expectancy Improves. CML patients taking Gleevec (imatinib) were followed for up to eight years. In order to be enrolled in the study, patients needed to be incomplete remission after two years of starting the drug, and the study confirmed that they could expect to live as long as people without cancer.