Q on Imatinib

[AlexRusso]

I know this might sound stupid since Imatinib is a very new drug but is anyone aware of any "possible" long term side effects associated with it? If you know of a good article with some preliminary Phase III results on its efficacy and/or toxicity please let me know. Thanks.

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[Kalel]

It's actually out of trials now and in clinical use. It's currently a controversial drug to use, because it hasn't been shown to be very effective in any clinical trial; but the drug co. is charging a fortune to doc's in the US for using it for "research expenses". But patients want it, so it's tough to say what insurance co's will end up doing with these new, expensive chemo agents:
http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic3/gleevec_ad.htm

 

[AlexRusso]

Thanks..but those are mostly immediate side effects not long term ones..its an expanded version of the PDR entry on the drug. i was wondering more about newer and still uncofirmed findings about long term effects that have not made it to the label.

Alos, I might be wrong here but I thought it was approved for clinical use after Phase II trials b/c it showed such high rates of remission there but that Phase III trials are still underway. Do you know of any articles publishing the results of Phase III trials on its effectiveness? if so please let me know.