Inclusion Criteria:

- Patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP) at screening

- Initial diagnosis of CML cytogenetically confirmed by the presence of the Ph+
metaphases from the bone marrow

- Patients who have been treated with nilotinib for a minimum of 6 months (1 month
represents 28 days) after switch from previous CML treatments

- Patients who have been treated with stable dosing of 2x400mg nilotinib within the
last month before start of study treatment

- No grade 3-4 CTC toxicities on nilotinib alone in the last month preceding the start
of the study regimen

Exclusion Criteria:

- Patients who are considered Ph- because they do not have a confirmed cytogenetic
diagnosis of the t(9;22) translocation in their bone marrow metaphases

- Evidence of a point mutation within the BCR-ABL gene leading to a clinically relevant
amino acid exchange in the kinase domain at position T315 (gatekeeper mutation T315I)

- Impaired cardiac function

- Severe or uncontrolled medical conditions (i.e. uncontrolled diabetes, active or
uncontrolled infection).

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply