The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of food on oral LBH589 in adult patients with advanced solid tumors. This study will also evaluate the safety and efficacy of LBH589 in adult patients with advanced solid tumors

Inclusion criteria:

• Patients with advanced solid tumors whose disease has progressed despite standard therapy or for whom no standard therapy exists
• Age ≥ 18 years old
• Patients must have adequate laboratory values
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 2
• Ability to swallow capsules or tablets

Exclusion criteria:

• Patients with active central nervous system (CNS) disease or brain metastases except those who have been previously treated and have been stable for at least 3 months.
• Patients with a second primary malignancy that is currently clinically significant or requiring active intervention
• Impaired heart function or clinically significant heart disease
• Impairment of gastrointestinal (GI) function, or GI disease that may significantly alter the absorption of LBH589
• Ongoing diarrhea
• Liver or renal disease with impaired hepatic or renal functions
• Concomitant use of any anti-cancer therapy or certain drugs
• Female patients who are pregnant or breast feeding
• Patients not willing to use an effective method of birth control

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply