These highlights do not include all the information needed to use Gleevec   safely and effectively.   See full prescribing information for Gleevec . GLEEVEC (imatinib mesylate) tablets for oral use
Newly diagnosed adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase.

Patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia in blast crisis, accelerated phase, or in chronic phase after failure of interferon-alpha therapy.

Pediatric patients with Ph+ CML in chronic phase who are newly diagnosed or whose disease has recurred after stem cell transplant or who are resistant to interferon-alpha therapy. There are no controlled trials in pediatric patients demonstrating a clinical benefit, such as improvement in disease-related symptoms or increased survival.

Adult patients with relapsed or refractory Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Adult patients with myelodysplastic/ myeloproliferative diseases associated with PDGFR (platelet-derived growth factor receptor) gene re-arrangements.

Adult patients with aggressive systemic mastocytosis without the D816V c-Kit mutation or with c-Kit mutational status unknown.

Adult patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome and/or chronic eosinophilic leukemia who have the FIP1L1-PDGFRα fusion kinase (mutational analysis or FISH demonstration of CHIC2 allele deletion) and for patients with HES and/or CEL who are FIP1L1-PDGFRα fusion kinase negative or unknown.

Adult patients with unresectable, recurrent and/or metastatic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Patients with Kit (CD117) positive unresectable and/or metastatic malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Adjuvant treatment of adult patients following complete gross resection of Kit (CD117) positive GIST.

Therapy should be initiated by a physician experienced in the treatment of patients with hematological malignancies or malignant sarcomas, as appropriate. The prescribed dose should be administered orally, with a meal and a large glass of water. Doses of 400 mg or 600 mg should be administered once daily, whereas a dose of 800 mg should be administered as 400 mg twice a day.

In children, Gleevec treatment can be given as a once-daily dose or alternatively the daily dose may be split into two - once in the morning and once in the evening. There is no experience with Gleevec treatment in children under 2 years of age.

For patients unable to swallow the film-coated tablets, the tablets may be dispersed in a glass of water or apple juice. The required number of tablets should be placed in the appropriate volume of beverage (approximately 50 mL for a 100 mg tablet, and 200 mL for a 400 mg tablet) and stirred with a spoon. The suspension should be administered immediately after complete disintegration of the tablet(s).

For daily dosing of 800 mg and above, dosing should be accomplished using the 400 mg tablet to reduce exposure to iron.

Treatment may be continued as long as there is no evidence of progressive disease or unacceptable toxicity.

The recommended dose of Gleevec is 400 mg/day for adult patients in chronic phase CML and 600 mg/day for adult patients in accelerated phase or blast crisis.     

In CML, a dose increase from 400 mg to 600 mg in adult patients with chronic phase disease, or from 600 mg to 800 mg (given as 400 mg twice daily