Improving Survival in Metastatic Melanoma

Approximately 50% of the patients with melanoma have an activating BRAF mutation, V600E.  Vemurafenib is an oral BRAF kinase inhibitor. In a randomized phase III study involving treatment naive patients with unresectable stage III or stage IV melanoma patients with BRAF mutation V600E, Vemurafenib significantly improved progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to Dacarbazine (DTIC). This is a major advance in the field of personalized medicine and molecular targeted therapy.  This information was presented at the 2011 ASCO meeting.