A review with 52 refs. covering syntheses of 4-(4-methylpiperazin-1-ylmethyl)-N-{4-methyl-3-[4-(pyridin-3-yl)pyrimidyn-2- ylamino]phenyl}benzamide (Imatinib) and its polymorphism, prepn. of salt adducts, and particularly the 6-step synthesis of imatinib mesylate and its a-polymorph as developed at the Pharmaceutical Research Inst. (Warsaw).