Abstract PL08-03: Melanoma Research Alliance: Investing in innovation.

Abstract

Abstract Melanoma is the deadliest of all skin cancers with more than 132,000 new cases each year worldwide and rising incidence. In the United States alone, melanoma incidence has tripled over the past three decades and it now represents the fifth most common cancer in men and the seventh most common in women. More than 76,690 new cases and more than 9,480 deaths are expected in the United States in 2013. Alarmingly, melanoma is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer among young adults in the U.S. Historically, treatment options for patients with metastatic melanoma have been severely limited, but recent advances have considerably changed the landscape. In 2011, two new drugs were approved by the FDA for metastatic melanoma, ipilimumab and vemurafenib, providing the proof-of-concept for use of immunotherapy as well as targeted therapy in metastatic melanoma. Progress in treatment has continued with the 2013 approval of two additional drugs for patients with BRAF mutations, trametinib and dabrafenib. While these newly approved drugs alone will not cure most patients (although a small subset of patients have experienced longer term durable benefit from them), they establish the foundation for new, more successful approaches. Moreover, genomics studies have revealed a large number of drug targets for melanoma that offer significant opportunity to avert or treat drug resistant disease as well as for personalized medical approaches. As a result, there is unprecedented transformational progress on behalf of patients highlighted by the more than 100 new melanoma drugs in the pipeline, with nearly 300 clinical trials underway. MRA-funded researchers are working to improve the success of the current therapies by identifying new biomarkers, combining treatments aimed at countering drug resistance, as well as discovering new and more effective drug targets for melanoma. By promoting collaboration in the field and providing critical investments in innovative translational research, MRA is at the forefront of these advances. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):PL08-03. Citation Format: Louise M. Perkins. Melanoma Research Alliance: Investing in innovation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr PL08-03.