A conversation with Jeffrey Settleman

Kinase inhibitors have had a major impact in cancer since Gleevec imatinib hit the market in 2001, but not all patients respond and nearly all responders eventually develop resistance. Although kinase inhibitor resistance has added complexity to the field, it has also driven researchers to uncover the underlying mechanisms and created opportunities for the development of next-generation drugs.

Gleevec is a small molecule BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor marketed by Novartis AG to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs)...