Tasigna
Meaning of Tasigna: Tasigna targets the specific abnormal protein responsible for driving cell growth in a genetically defined form of chronic leukemia.
Definition of Tasigna
Tasigna is the brand name for nilotinib, a targeted cancer drug belonging to a class called tyrosine kinase inhibitors. It is used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia, a slow growing blood cancer defined by an abnormal chromosome known as the Philadelphia chromosome, which forms when parts of two chromosomes break off and attach to each other.
This abnormal chromosome produces a fusion protein called BCR-ABL, an enzyme that continuously signals leukemia cells to grow and divide. Tasigna works by blocking the activity of this specific fusion protein, interrupting the abnormal growth signal driving the leukemia and helping to slow or reduce the disease.
Tasigna is generally used in chronic myelogenous leukemia that carries this Philadelphia chromosome, including in situations where an earlier tyrosine kinase inhibitor, such as imatinib, was not effective or was not well tolerated, and it is taken by mouth as part of ongoing, generally long term treatment.
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Used in a sentence
Tasigna was started after the patient's chronic myelogenous leukemia did not respond adequately to an earlier tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
Good to know
Tasigna's effectiveness depends on the leukemia carrying the specific BCR-ABL abnormality the drug targets, so testing for the Philadelphia chromosome is a necessary step before this targeted therapy is used.