Novartis says Tasigna effective in early leukaemia 

December 10, 2007

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis's cancer drug Tasigna (nilotinib) is effective as a first-line treatment for patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), according to data presented on Sunday.

Tasigna has recently been approved in the United States and Europe for use in CML in patients who no longer respond to Glivec/Gleevec.

Tasigna, taken twice daily in 400 mg doses in a trial involving 32 patients, showed significant efficacy in nearly all patients as early as 3 months, data presented at an American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in Atlanta showed.

It also had a favourable toxicity profile.