Progress for Two New Melanoma Drugs

Incremental progress in melanoma treatment has been reported at the Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology held in Sweden last week:

Ipilumumab -- Three phase II clinical trials have shown that treatment with ipilumumab results in a one-year survival rate of about 50% for people with stage III or IV metastatic melanoma, which is double the average. Ipilumumab is an antibody that activates the body's immune system to fight the melanoma by inhibiting the CTLA-4 molecule. Seven phase III trials are underway -- if you or a loved one has late-stage melanoma, be sure to ask your physician if you're eligible for these studies.

Elesclomol -- In another phase II trial, the combination of elesclomol and paclitaxel in stage IV melanoma patients resulted in a median survival of nearly one year compared with 7.8 months for those treated with paclitaxel alone. Elesclomol triggers cancer cells to "self-destruct," in a process called apoptosis. A critical phase III trial called SYMMETRY is underway.

_Sources:

Maio M et al. "Efficacy and Safety of Ipilimumab in Patients with Advanced Melanoma Who had Progressed on One or More Prior Therapies: Results from a Single-Arm, Multicenter Study." European Society for Medical Oncology 2008. Poster no. 776PD. 15 September 2008.

Lebbe C et al. "Effect of Dose on Efficacy and Safety in Ipilimumab-treated Patients with Advanced Melanoma: Results from a Phase II, Randomized, Dose-ranging Study." European Society for Medical Oncology 2008. Oral Presentation No. 769O. 15 September 2008

Ridolfi R et al. "Efficacy and Safety of Treatment Naïve and Previously Treated Patients with Advanced Melanoma Receiving Ipilimumab." European Society for Medical Oncology 2008. Poster no. 778PD. 15 September 2008

O’Day S, Gonzalez R, Weber L, el al. "Elesclomol (formerly STA-4783) and paclitaxel in Stage IV metastatic melanoma (MM): 2-year overall survival (OS)." European Society of Medical Oncology Congress. Abstract no. 7710. 15 September 2008