Novartis' Glivec

The FDA approved Novartis' Glivec in May of 2001 to use on patients with advanced stage Philadelphia-chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. A recent study of targeted cancer therapy Glivec found that the treatment could cause heart failure. The study reported several people had died from congestive heart failure while on Glivec, without any other medical reason being found for the condition, and laboratory mice treated with Glivec developed heart pathology. The drug was originally thought to only target the Ab1-Bcr fusion protein, the causal agent in chronic myelogenous leukaemia, but this was before scientists realized Ab1 helps maintain cardiac cell health.