When to Consider Glivec Blood Level Testing for Your GIST Patients
Glivec blood level testing will help identify patients that may have a lower probability of achieving an optimal outcome.
Glivec Blood level testing can be initiated at any time. Obtaining a blood level after one month of Glivec therapy may serve as a useful reference point for future measurements
You may want to consider Glivec blood level testing when: |
|
| Rationale for performing blood level testing |
| 1. |
The response to GLIVEC is less than you would expect |
Low blood levels may help explain inadequate responses |
| 2. |
You suspect the patient may be experiencing drug-drug
interactions |
Drugs that interact with cytochrome P450 3A4 may significantly elevate or decrease GLIVEC blood levels, which may result in toxicities or reduced efficacy1 |
| 3. |
Your patient is experiencing adverse reactions that are unusually severe for the administered dose of GLIVEC |
Blood levels may help explain serious adverse reactions and guide clinical decisions regarding dose reduction to maintain therapeutic effects |
| 4. |
You have concerns about lack of adherence |
Very low blood levels may help confirm suspected nonadherence |
|
|
In GIST, decline in patient adherence can be an issue with long-term oral medications2
In a 14-month study in the US, adherence to GLIVEC began to decline after 4 months of treatment 2
- Persistency declined from 94% at month 5 to 23% at month 14*
- Persistency averaged 256 days of therapy over 12 months2
- Compliance rate was 75%2†
|
|
| Patients with GIST receiving the recommended dose of GLIVEC over 14 months2 |
 |
N=2921 (patients analyzed for persistency). Compliance and persistency of patients prescribed GLIVEC were measured by analyzing the drugfilling activity of patients compared with the prescribing activity of their physicians using patient pharmacy records (N=4043) over a 14-month period. Observed average daily consumption and average prescribed days of therapy were derived and compared. 2
* Persistency was defined as time each patient stayed on therapy without significant gaps in refills.
† Compliance was defined as medication/possession ratio (apparent mg taken divided by mg prescribed).
|
|
GIST ALLIANCE provides easy access to GLIVEC blood level testing at no cost
Find out how to access Glivec blood level testing for your GIST patients >>
|
