Nitin Mongia

Nitin Mongia is a married, 35-year-old resident of Mumbai, India, with an active 5-year-old daughter. Nitin looks like exactly what he is: an active, healthy outdoorsman, with broad shoulders and strong arms resulting from many hours spent on the water as a world-class competitive sailor.

It is hard to believe that Nitin is also a cancer patient, living with a rare disease that once was nearly always fatal. Nitin was diagnosed in July 2005 with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a form of bone marrow cancer. Three months later, he began treatment with a breakthrough, life-extending cancer medication from Novartis Oncology.

Nitin's medication was provided by Novartis Oncology at no charge through GIPAP™, a patient access program in which Novartis Oncology donates the medication to the patient-free of cost to the patient or the government.

In February 2007, when Nitin stopped responding adequately to the medication, he was provided access to a new drug from Novartis Oncology on "compassionate use" grounds. Compassionate use is a method of providing treatment prior to final drug approval by a country's regulatory agency. This method of patient access to medication is used with individuals who have no other treatment options.

It has been more than 18 months now since Nitin starting receiving the latest medication from Novartis to treat his CML-free of charge. His physician is delighted with Nitin's response to treatment. Nitin himself says, "I am doing not just good, but wonderfully well. I'm leading my life absolutely." Nothing will prevent Nitin from practicing and participating in all his professional sailing commitments.