Category: News
Registration Now Open for March 9 Patient Forum!
11 January 2022 In Allies & Partnerships, Events, News, Policy, Prevention, Science, Treatment
MRA’s Melanoma Exchange Patient Forum, held in-person in Washington DC and virtually on March 9, will bring together melanoma patients, survivors, advocates, and their loved ones to provide lay-friendly, state-of-the-science education, promote collaboration, and provide networking opportunities across the melanoma community.
MRA Applauds Expanded Approval of Pembrolizumab to Patients with Stage 2 Melanoma
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 6 December 2021 In News, Science, Treatment
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research worldwide, welcomes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision to expand eligibility of Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to include patients with Stage IIB and IIC melanoma.
Promising Uveal Melanoma Research Advances
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 26 October 2021 In News, Science, Treatment
Uveal melanoma, often called ocular melanoma or just eye melanoma, is a rare melanoma subtype that affects about 2,500 people each year in the United States. As is true with other rare subtypes, we know far less about what causes uveal melanoma, how it progresses, and how it can be...
Paving a Path for Cancer Vaccines
22 October 2021 In News, Science
Although vaccines to prevent COVID-19 have dominated conversations and the news cycle since the start of the pandemic — Dr. Nina Bhardwaj and her team have been busy at work with a different type of vaccine altogether: one to support melanoma treatment and reduce risk of recurrence.
Challenge Accepted: MRA 2020 - 2021 Annual Report
19 October 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories, News, Policy, Prevention, Science, Treatment
This was a year like no other. COVID-19 presented new challenges that required new ways of thinking. At MRA, confronting challenges is part of our DNA. We never stop challenging ourselves, no matter the odds or obstacles, in pursuit of conquering melanoma and saving lives.
Full Sails Ahead: Immunotherapy Shows Continued Survival Benefit for Patients Facing Advanced Melanoma
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 28 July 2021 In News, Science, Treatment
After carefully following patients enrolled in Checkmate 067 over the last 6.5 years, he and the research team determined that 49% of patients treated with Opdivo + Yervoy were alive at 6.5 years and 77% of these patients remained treatment-free. This represents the longest reported median overall survival in a phase 3 melanoma clinical trial – ever.
Melanoma Research Alliance Announces 13 Dermatology Fellowship Award Recipients
The Melanoma Research Alliance, the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research, is proud to announce its 2021 Dermatology Fellowship Award recipients.
Setting the Groundwork for Patient-Centric 1st in Human Clinical Trial Funding Opportunities
7 July 2021 In Allies & Partnerships, News, Science
From Michael Kaplan, MRA President & CEO: There is a reason the word “Alliance” is in our name! The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) knows that to achieve our mission of ending suffering and death due to melanoma, broad partnerships and collaborations are required. In this spirit, MRA entered its first partnership with...
2021 AACR and ASCO Melanoma Highlights
By Marc Hurlbert, PhD, MRA Chief Executive Officer | 29 June 2021 In News, Science, Treatment
Over the last few months, thousands of scientists and physicians from around the globe gathered virtually for two of the largest cancer research conferences – AACR and ASCO. Melanoma research advances were showcased at both events and it’s an exciting time with numerous presentations of clinical trials for new melanoma treatments. Here we highlight some of the most exciting results from both conferences.
New Immunotherapy Drugs Targeting LAG-3 Show Great Promise
By Kristen Mueller, PhD | 23 June 2021 In News, Science, Treatment
Researchers presented a series of highly encouraging clinical trial results at the recent American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting that suggest that new drugs targeting the protein LAG-3 – developed by BMS and Regeneron – may be an important addition to the current treatment arsenal.