Imatinib (Glivec) is an anti-cancer drug that is licensed for the treatment of types of blood cancers, including leukaemia, and gastrointestinal and other tumours. It works by inhibiting an enzyme called tyrosine kinase, which turns on the expression of cancer-causing genes in tumour cells

Imatinib is manufactured by Novartis. In the United States, it is marketed as Gleevec.

Case reports have suggested that imatinib can be used to treat Kaposi’s sarcoma and leukaemia in HIV-positive patients^[1][2][3].

Imatinib has common but mild side-effects, including water retention, nausea, rash and pain in the muscles and bones. It does not appear to interact with anti-HIV medications^[4].