Kedem Pharmaceuticals Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company with focus on sublingual drug delivery system, has initiated the development of Gleevec. Gleevec is an important anti-cancer drug for the treatment of several blood related cancers in children and adults.

In children the drug has demonstrated a powerful action against Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML), possibly one of the most prescribed drugs for this condition. The drug is administered orally and in children there is a significant issue in getting the drug swallowed, due to size of the pill and bad taste. Our sublingual formulation with taste masking features makes the drug acceptable and pleasant in taste for the children with chronic dosage requirements.

Gleevec is the registered trade name for Imatinib, a specific inhibitor of tyrosine kinase BCR-ABL. BCR-ABL is a fusion protein created by the Philadelphia Chromosome abnormality that characterizes CML. Prior to discovery of Gleevec, the disease (CML) treatment was very unsuccessful. However, with the discovery of Gleevec, the treatment of CML has been tremendously successful. The oral prescription dose of Gleevec, is marketed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals.