The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7270 p484
11 October 2003

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New England Journal of Medicine abstract (more)

Imatinib has bigger molecular effect

Imatinib (Glivec) has a greater effect on the main molecular abnormality of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) than does interferon alfa plus cytarabine, new data show.

Researchers measured levels of transcripts of the BCR-ABL gene (which characterises CML) in patients who were considered to be in complete cytogenetic remission after treatment with either imatinib or interferon alfa plus cytarabine. Those in the imatinib group were much more likely to have a profound reduction in BCR-ABL transcript levels, they say (New England Journal of Medicine 2003;349:1423).