Efficacy, Safety, and Pharmacokinetics of QAW039

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with a medical history of mild to moderate persistent allergic asthma. * Patients must weigh at least 45 kg to participate in the study, and must have abody mass index (BMI) of \>17 kg/m2. * Female patients must be surgically sterilized, postmenopausal or using a double-barrier method of contraception Exclusion Criteria: * Women of child-bearing potential. * Smokers defined as history of smoking in the previous 6 months or a smoking history of more than 10 pack years, a pack year being defined as smoking the equivalent of 20 cigarettes - a pack - every day for the period of 1 year * Patients with severe persistent asthma Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.