New MM drug would do better in USA

A new Decision Resources report has found that a drug for treating stage IV malignant melanoma that can increase median overall survival when  compared with standard-of-care dacarbazine would earn a higher patient  share in the USA (60%) than in Europe (40%), according to surveyed  oncologists.

The new report, entitled Malignant Melanoma (Stage IV): Emerging  Therapies Must Increase Overall Survival over Dacarbazine to Attain High  Patient Share, finds that clinical data and the opinions of interviewed  thought leaders indicate that Bristol-Myers Squibb/Medarex' ipilimumab  has advantages over dacarbazine in the attribute of median overall  survival. Following its approval in 2010 for the indication, ipilimumab  will earn Decision Resources' proprietary clinical gold standard for  stage IV malignant melanoma from 2012 to 2017.

"Ipilimumab has competitive advantages in efficacy and has been shown,  in combination with dacarbazine, to almost double median overall  survival when compared to Schering-Plough's Temodar (temozolomide), our  clinical gold standard in 2008 for stage IV malignant melanoma," said  Decision Resources analyst Karen Pomeranz. "According to oncologists we  surveyed, overall survival is the highest-weighted endpoint for stage IV  malignant melanoma, which further stresses the significance of  ipilimumab's achievement in increasing overall survival," she  added.