Thirteen years after federal regulators last approved a new drug to treat advanced melanoma, the Food & Drug Administration has given the green light to two revolutionary drugs in the past five months to treat the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Researchers say the developments make this an exciting time for those who see the possibility for controlling a disease that today is diagnosed in about 68,000 Americans annually and kills more than 8,700 people in this country each year.
“A year or two ago, melanoma treatment wasn’t like it is in this moment,” said Dr. Adil Daud, director of UCSF’s Melanoma Program.
Zelboraf, approved Wednesday, attacks a genetic mutation found in about half of melanoma patients, inhibiting the disease’s ability to spread. The drug, which comes in a pill, was developed by Berkeley’s Plexxicon and is being marketed by South San Francisco’s Genentech and Daiichi Sankyo.
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