Pulsing Vemurafenib May Avoid Effects of Drug Resistance

An animal model of vemurafenib resistance in melanoma tumors may point the way to a new way of dosing of targeted therapies.

Resistance to vemurafenib remains one of the cardinal challenges in melanoma therapeutics, and the lack of a good animal model of vemurafenib resistance is one of the difficulties in deeper investigations of the problem. In this industry-supported study, investigators created such a model of the emergence of drug resistance — an early passage, tumor xenograft derived from human patients that had the BRAF V600E mutation and that was implanted in immunocompromised mice, which were then continuously treated with vemurafenib (45 mg/kg^-1). Within approximately 56 days, drug-resistant tumors emerged in 2 mice. One tumor (called 45V-RT) was harvested, fragmented, and re-implanted into a new group of mice, which were then treated with 45 mg/kg^-1 ve…

Reviewing Author

Hensin Tsao, MD, PhD

Disclosures

Consultant / advisory board Lubax; WorldCare Clinical

EquityLubax

Grant / Research support NIH; Department of Defense; American Skin Association; Piramal

Editorial boardsBritish Journal of Dermatology; Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology; Journal of Investigative Dermatology

Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Chair, Skin Cancer and Melanoma Committee); American Board of Dermatology (Director)