Inclusion Criteria:

- Patients with histological or cytological confirmed advanced solid tumors, which have
progressed despite standard therapy or for whom no standard therapy exists.

- Life expectancy of at least 3 months

- Adequate hematological parameters

- No major impairment of renal and hepatic function

Exclusion Criteria:

- Gastrointestinal dysfunction, such as gastrectomy and malabsorption syndrome that
could alter absorption.

- Patients who have received any investigational compound within the past 28 days.

- Patients with other antineoplastic therapy within the last 28 days.

- Patients known to be HIV or hepatitis virus positive, or patients with the presence
of active or suspected acute or chronic uncontrolled infection

- Patients with a history of allergies to the camptothecin family drug.

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply