Friday, June 13, 2008

Novartis - Gleevec: more ain't better

Novartis has failed in an effort to prove in a clinical trial that its cancer drug Glivec is more effective in higher doses than are now generally prescribed, the company announced Friday.

Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia showed no statistically significant improvement when treated with an 800 milligram dose of Glivec than those who received the standard 400 milligram dose.

Glivec — known as Gleevec in the United States — is the second best-selling drug for Novartis after blood pressure medication Diovan.

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