"a tyrosine-kinase inhibitor.
works by preventing a tyrosine kinase enzyme
in this case BCR-Abl
from phosphorylating proteins and initiatingthe signalling cascade necessary for cancer growth and survival
Because the BCR-Abl tyrosine kinase enzyme exists only in cancer cells and not in healthy cells
imatinib works asa form of targeted therapy�only cancer cells are killed through the drug's action
exceptionally expensive cancer drugs