What is "nilotinib"

n. A particular drug used to treat cancer.

Nilotinib (AMN107, trade name Tasigna), in the form of the hydrochloride monohydrate salt, is a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of imatinib-resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia. Structurally related to imatinib, it was developed based on the structure of the Abl-imatinib complex to address imatinib intolerance and resistance. Nilotinib is a selective Bcr-Abl kinase inhibitor that is 10-30 fold more potent than imatinib in inhibiting Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase activity and proliferation of Bcr-Abl expressing cells.