The Food and Drug Administration has approved nilotinib for first-line treatment of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase. The widely anticipated decision, announced on June 17, makes nilotinib (Tasigna) an alternative to imatinib (Gleevec) in the treatment of newly diagnosed patients. Nilotinib was approved in 2007 for second-line treatment of patients who could not tolerate imatinib or had progressed after treatment.Results of the pivotal phase...