Aspirin, sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid and Imatinib Mesylate

• Generic Name: aspirin / citric acid / sodium bicarbonate
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Alka-Seltzer Extra Strength, Alka-Seltzer, Medi-Seltzer, Neutralin

Aspirin, sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid combination is used to relieve pain occurring together with heartburn, sour stomach, or acid indigestion.

The aspirin in this combination is the pain reliever. Aspirin belongs to the group of medicines known as salicylates and to the group of medicines known as anti-inflammatory analgesics. The sodium bicarbonate in aspirin, sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid is an antacid. It neutralizes stomach acid by combining with it to form a new substance that is not an acid.

Aspirin, sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid combination may also be used to lessen the chance of heart attack, stroke, or other problems that may occur when a blood vessel is blocked by blood clots. The aspirin in aspirin, sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid helps prevent dangerous blood clots from forming. However, this effect of aspirin may increase the chance of serious bleeding in some people. Therefore, aspirin should be used for this purpose only when your doctor decides, after studying your medical condition and history, that the danger of blood clots is greater than the risk of bleeding. Do not take aspirin to prevent blood clots or a heart attack unless it has been ordered by your doctor.

This combination medicine is available without a prescription.

• Generic Name: imatinib
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Gleevec

First-line treatment of newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) CML in adult and pediatric patients who are in the chronic phase of the disease (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use); follow-up is limited.

Second-line treatment of Ph+ CML in adults who are in blast crisis, in the accelerated phase, or in the chronic phase of the disease after failure of interferon alfa therapy (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use).

Second-line treatment of pediatric patients with Ph+ chronic phase CML whose disease has recurred after stem cell transplantation or who are resistant to interferon alfa therapy.

Efficacy in pediatric patients determined based on overall hematologic and/or cytogenetic response rates; actual clinical benefits (e.g., decrease in disease-related symptoms, increase in survival) not adequately studied.

Treatment of relapsed or refractory Ph+ ALL in adults (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use).

Treatment of MDS or MPD associated with gene rearrangements of platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) in adults (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use).

Treatment of aggressive systemic mastocytosis (ASM) in adults who lack the D816V c-Kit mutation or in whom c-Kit mutational status is unknown (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use).

Ineffective for ASM with the D816V c-Kit mutation; other therapy is indicated.

Has not been shown to be effective in patients with less aggressive forms of SM. Therefore, not recommended for use in patients with cutaneous mastocytosis, indolent SM (smoldering SM or isolated bone marrow mastocytosis), SM with an associated clonal hematologic non-mast cell lineage disease, mast cell leukemia, mast cell sarcoma, or extracutaneous mastocytoma.

Treatment of HES and/or CEL in adults who have the FIP1L1-PDGFRα fusion kinase (mutational analysis or FISH demonstration of CHIC2 allele deletion), patients who are negative for FIP1L1-PDGFRα fusion kinase, or patients in whom expression of FIP1L1-PDGFRα fusion kinase is unknown (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use).

Treatment of unresectable, recurrent, and/or metastatic DFSP in adults (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use).

Treatment of patients with Kit (CD117)-positive unresectable and/or metastatic malignant GIST (designated an orphan drug by FDA for this use).

Efficacy determined based on objective response rates; actual clinical benefits (e.g., decrease in disease-related symptoms, increase in survival) not adequately studied.