nilotinib hydrochloride monohydrate

A drug used to treat certain types of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) that are Philadelphia chromosome positive. It is used in some newly diagnosed patients. It is also used in patients who are not able to take or who have not gotten better after treatment with imatinib mesylate or other tyrosine kinase inhibitor. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Nilotinib hydrochloride monohydrate blocks BCR-ABL and other proteins, which may help keep cancer cells from growing. It is a type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Also called Tasigna.