Category: Zelboraf

Vemurafenib (brand name Zelboraf) NEW DISCOVERY New research on mice shows that drug-resistant melanoma tumors shrink when treatment is interrupted, or given a “holiday”, suggesting that altering the dose pattern of cancer drug treatment in this manner could be a simple way to extend survival in human patients with late-stage disease. However, only human trials can…

Drug combinatorial screening was used to identify effective combinations for mutant BRAF melanomas, including those resistant to vemurafenib, and mutant RAS melanomas that are resistant to many therapies. http://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2012/12/07/2159-8290.CD-12-0408.abstract    

Roche recently disclosed a decision to start phase III with GDC-0973 (formerly XL518), a MEK inhibitor licensed from Exelixis (EXEL) to Genentech 6 years ago. The trial is expected to start next month, and will evaluate GDC-0973 in combination with Roche’s Zelboraf in patients with BRAF-mutated melanoma. This is an extremely positive catalyst for Exelixis,…