Novartis drug Glivec shows highest leukaemia survival rate

Novartis has announced that data published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine has supported the use of Glivec (imatinib) as a long-term treatment for patients with newly-diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph plus) chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).

The journal reported that the overall survival rate, excluding unrelated incidents or bone marrow transplants, to be 95 per cent after administration of the drug. It added that by the fifth year of the study, the percentage of patients with no indication of Philadelphia chromosome “increased dramatically”.

Novartis reports that before Glivec was available to patients, around half of those affected developed advanced forms of Ph plus CML in three to five years after diagnoses, with a prognosis of a low survival rate.

David Epstein, president and chief executive officer of Novartis Oncology, said: “These data underscore that Glivec continues to support positive outcomes in CML with the opportunity for patients to achieve better outcomes the longer they take the therapy.”

He added that results over a five-year period showed that the drug offered “very good tolerability” and safety.

In September, Glivec was awarded additonal EU approval for the treatment of newly diagnosed Ph plus acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Ph plus ALL) in conjunction with chemotherapy and also as a monotherapy for patients with relapsed or unresponsive Ph plus ALL.