Melanoma News and Research

Latest Melanoma News and Research

New biomarkers can predict patients' response to certain drugs

Recent advances in cancer therapeutics have led to the discovery of biomarkers that can predict patient response to certain drugs. Screening for mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGRF) prior to non-small cell lung cancer treatment, for example, has been shown to indentify patients who are likely to respond to treatment with erlontinib. This maximizes the drug's impact, and spares patients who are not likely to benefit from being subjected to potentially debilitating side effects.

19 Nov 2009

New data on Synta Pharmaceuticals' elesclomol presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today presented new data on the mechanism of action of elesclomol, a first-in-class oxidative stress inducer, at the AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Boston, Mass.

18 Nov 2009

Data on Synta Pharmaceuticals' STA-9090 synthetic inhibitor of Hsp90 presented

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today announced that preclinical data presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics shows that STA-9090, a novel, synthetic inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), demonstrated strong activity in multiple tumor models.

18 Nov 2009

Oncolytics Biotech's REOLYSIN combined with paclitaxel and carboplatin well tolerated for advanced cancers

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. today announced updated results from a Phase I/II U.K. trial (REO 011) of REOLYSIN(R) combined with paclitaxel/carboplatin for patients with advanced cancers in a poster presentation at the 2009 AACR-NCI-EORTC Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics conference being held in Boston, Massachusetts.

17 Nov 2009

Melanoma Institute director to present Phase 2 study data of PV-10 for metastatic melanoma

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, announced today that Professor John F. Thompson, MD, Professor of Melanoma and Surgical Oncology at the University of Sydney, Director of the Melanoma Institute Australia, and Lead Investigator of the Phase 2 study of PV-10 for Metastatic Melanoma, will be presenting data at the 3rd World Meeting of Interdisciplinary Melanoma/Skin Cancer Centers on November 21, 2009 in Berlin, Germany.

17 Nov 2009

First-quarter fiscal 2010 results announced by IsoRay

IsoRay Inc. a medical isotope company focusing on the treatment of prostate, lung, head and neck and other malignant disease through the use of its proprietary radioisotope technology, announced its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, ended September 30, 2009.

16 Nov 2009

Genta announces financial results for the third quarter of 2009, reduces workforce to cut payroll costs

Genta Incorporated today announced financial results for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009. The Company also announced a restructuring, reduction in workforce, and re-ordering of clinical development priorities.

16 Nov 2009

Genta announces Phase 3 trial results of Genasense

Genta Incorporated today announced preliminary results from AGENDA, the Company’s Phase 3 trial of Genasense® (oblimersen sodium) Injection in patients with advanced melanoma. AGENDA is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of dacarbazine (DTIC) administered with or without Genasense® in patients who have not previously received chemotherapy.

16 Nov 2009

CMS approves FDG PET for initial staging of cervical cancer

SNM applauds the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services- (CMS) decision to expand coverage of FDG PET for the initial staging of cervical cancer without previously imposed restrictions.

13 Nov 2009

New HPV vaccine eliminates chronic infection and reduces precancerous genital lesions in women

A new vaccine designed to stimulate an immune response against a cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV-16) can eliminate chronic infection by the virus and may cause regression of precancerous genital lesions in women who receive the vaccine.

11 Nov 2009

Common myths about sun exposure, sunscreen and vitamin D

When it comes to vitamin D, consumers are bombarded with mixed messages about the best source for this essential nutrient. While some may argue that small doses of intentional sun exposure are safe, dermatologists point out that the risk of developing skin cancer from ultraviolet (UV) radiation far outweighs the benefit of stimulating vitamin D production - particularly when enriched foods and supplements are safe and effective sources of this vitamin.

11 Nov 2009

BioVex completes $70M financing to complete OncoVEX Phase III study

BioVex Inc, a company developing new generation biologics for the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious disease, announced today that it has concluded a $70 million private financing, raising $30 million in addition to the $40 million announced in March. The proceeds of the financing will primarily be used to complete the ongoing Phase III pivotal study of OncoVEX (GM-CSF) for the treatment of recurrent and metastatic melanoma and to fund pre-commercialization activities.

10 Nov 2009

Levulan PDT may reduce the rate of recurrence of SCCs in solid organ transplant recipients: Study

The results of an independent investigator study just published in the online version of Dermatologic Surgery demonstrate that Levulan(®) Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) may reduce the rate of recurrence of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs), a population with a high incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

10 Nov 2009

New technique to identify patients more likely to survive advanced melanoma

Although the chances of surviving advanced melanoma aren't very good with current therapies, some patients can live for years with cancer that has spread beyond the skin to other organs. Now it may be possible to identify which patients are more likely to survive by analyzing the activity of hundreds of genes involved in the immune response and gene proliferation, according to researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center.

10 Nov 2009

Abraxis BioScience reports $96.6 million net revenues for third quarter of 2009

Abraxis BioScience, Inc., a fully integrated biotechnology company, today reported unaudited financial results for the third quarter ending September 30, 2009.

5 Nov 2009

FDA grants Abraxis BioScience orphan drug designation for ABRAXANE

Abraxis BioScience, Inc., a fully integrated biotechnology company, today announced that the Office of Orphan Products Development of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to the chemotherapy agent ABRAXANE® for Injectable Suspension (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) (albumin-bound) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer as well as stage IIB-IV melanoma.

5 Nov 2009

Oncolytics Biotech reports financial results for the third quarter of 2009

Oncolytics Biotech Inc. today announced its financial results for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2009.

5 Nov 2009

Third quarter 2009 financial results announced by Synta Pharmaceuticals

4 Nov 2009

MRF's research Consortium to develop effective treatments for advanced melanoma

For more than a decade, there have been no new therapies that have improved survival rates for patients with advanced melanoma. Today, at the 6th International Melanoma Congress for the Society for Melanoma Research, the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) announced a novel collaboration between the research community and pharmaceutical companies that will pool knowledge and resources to generate new breakthroughs in treatment.

4 Nov 2009

Melanoma patients treated with radiation after surgery at lower risk of cancer recurrence

High-risk melanoma patients who are treated with radiation after surgery have a significantly lower risk of their cancer returning to the lymph nodes (19 percent), compared to those patients who do not have radiation therapy (31 percent), according to the first randomized study of its kind presented at the plenary session, November 2, 2009, at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

3 Nov 2009