Physician’s guide to the clinical management of adverse events on nilotinib therapy for the treatment of CML

Nilotinib is a rationally designed tyrosine kinase inhibitor with improved specificity and binding affinity for BCR-ABL compared with imatinib. Nilotinib is approved in patients with imatinib-resistant and -intolerant Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), as well as in patients with newly diagnosed CML. Nilotinib is generally well tolerated, with mild and manageable side effects, and is associated with some adverse events that require management to insure patient adherence to therapy and optimal treatment outcomes. The objectives of this article are to review the clinical management of the most frequent of these adverse events and to guide physicians in helping their patients maintain adherence and achieve optimal outcomes with nilotinib therapy.