Why the FDA rejected a breakthrough' melanoma drug
Briefly

Why the FDA rejected a breakthrough' melanoma drug
"RP1 is an oncolytic immunotherapy drug made from a modified herpesvirus that is injected directly into melanoma tumors, causing cancer cells to burst and triggering the immune system to attack similar cells."
"Approximately 110,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed each year in the U.S., with a 99 percent survival rate in early stages, but only 16 percent once the disease spreads."
"Yana Najjar, director of the Clinical and Translational Research Center at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, states, 'This is a population that has been left behind. This is where I had hoped RP1 would come in.'"
RP1 is a new oncolytic immunotherapy drug that has shown significant promise for melanoma patients who do not respond to traditional treatments. Despite its potential, the FDA has twice declined to approve RP1, raising concerns among researchers and drug developers. Melanoma, while highly treatable in early stages, becomes difficult to manage once it spreads, with a five-year survival rate dropping to 16 percent. RP1 could provide a crucial new treatment option for patients lacking second-line therapies.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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