MelanomaResearchAlliance

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Accelerating Progress: Moving Toward a Cure for Melanoma 2008-2011 Report

I n March, animmunotherapy calledYervoy (ipilimumab)became the first drug

approved by the U.S. Food

and Drug Administration

(FDA) in 13 years for

metastatic melanoma. Then the molecularly

targeted agent Zelboraf (vemurafenib), an

inhibitor of a mutated protein found in about

half of melanomas, was approved by the FDA

in August. These breakthroughs underscore

remarkable progress that has been unfolding in

the four years since the founding of the Melanoma

Research Alliance (MRA), a unique organization

whose mission is to find and fund the most

promising research worldwide. MRA is working

to better prevent, detect early and treat deadly

skin cancer, toward a day when no one suffers

or dies from melanoma.

No one person or organization can win the

battle against melanoma alone. We are thankful

to all who have engaged with us in this fight

researchers, supporters, allies, partners, and more.

This report offers a

retrospective of the four

years since the founding

of MRA, including the

progress we have made,

a highlight of scientific

findings, and a look to

the future of melanoma research. MRA funding has

been vital to unlocking the best treatments and

continues to offer hope for better therapies and

ultimately a cure.

As the pace of progress quickens, MRA is

re-doubling its efforts to accelerate research.

With more than $30 million awarded for promising

research, MRA has catalyzed strategic and collabo-

rative research efforts to discover new biomarkers

of treatment response, demystify drug resistance

mechanisms, and improve effectiveness through

combination therapies. MRA is working with all

who care about defeating melanoma, moving from

the year of melanoma to the year of the

melanoma cure as quickly as possible.

DEBRA BLACK , co-founder and chairWENDY K.D. SELIG , president and CEO

Our First Four YearsA period of landmark advances in melanoma research and treatment.

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR AND PRESIDENT

This is clearly the year of melanomaGeorge W. Sledge, Jr., M.D., American Society of

Clinical Oncology Past President - June 2011

MRA is a public charity formed in 2007 under

the auspices of the Milken Institute, with generous

founding support from Debra and Leon Black. The

mission of MRA is to accelerate the pace of scientific

discovery and its translation in order to eliminate

suffering and death due to melanoma. Thanks to the

ongoing support of its founders, MRA applies 100

percent of public donations to its research program.

In its first four years, MRA has committed $30.4 million

to 73 research programs with the potential to make

significant, near-term clinical impact in prevention,

diagnosis, staging, and treatment. MRA is the largest pri-

vate funder of melanoma research in the United States.

MRA 2008-2011About MRA 03

About MRAStrategic

$30.4MRA has committed $30.4 millionto 73 research programs. It is thelargest private funder of melanomaresearch in the United States.

MRA research awards provide an important and unique

source of funding that addresses the gap in translational

science, which is a critical stage in moving scientific

discoveries into tools and treatments for patients.

Hallmarks of the MRA research portfolio include:

Focus on collaborative team science: Team

Science Awards, which fund multidisciplinary research

groups, account for almost three-quarters of research

funding to date, followed by a variety of individual

awards: Established Investigator, Young Investigator,

Pilot/Development Awards, and Partnership Awards.

MILLION

THE FIRST FOUR YEARS

$35

$30

$25

$20

$15

$10

$5

0

GROWTH OF MRAS RESEARCH PROGRAM

Fun

din

g (

Mill

ion

s)

2011

2010

2009

2008

TOTAL COMMITMENTS BY AWARD TYPE

Partnership ($0.3M)

Established($4.2M)

Pilot/Dev($0.7M)Young

($2.8M)

Team ($22.4M)

Thanks to the ongoing generous support ofits founders, MRA applies 100 percent ofpublic donations to its research program.

114PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

04 www.curemelanoma.orgStrategicMelanomaResearchAlliance.

Investment in developing new treatments

for metastatic disease: Nearly 80 percent of

research funding is directed at melanoma treatment,

followed by diagnosis/staging and prevention. In

particular, MRA is investing significant resources to

improve upon the two new treatment approaches

immune checkpoint targeting and selective BRAF

inhibition.

Advances in key scientific and clinical

areas: MRA-funded research has made progress in

all of the key areas of opportunity identified at its

inaugural Call to Action meeting in 2007. Because of

NEARLY 80 PERCENT

About MRAStrategic

Nearly 80 percent of researchfunding is directed at melanomatreatment, followed by diagnosis/staging and prevention.

the rapid progress that has been made, MRA has

updated and revised this agenda for the next four years.

Support for a diverse group of melanoma

researchers worldwide: MRA is funding 114

Principal Investigators at 56 institutions in 10

countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany,

Israel, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden,

Switzerland, and the United States).

TOTAL COMMITMENTS BY SCIENCE AREA

Diagnosis/Staging($3.7M)Treatment

($24.0M)

Prevention($2.8)

VFCDG8LBI

s

UnitedStates

Canada

Europe

Israel

9

NewZealand

MRA 2008-2011Strategic 05

AustraliaWestmeadHerstonMelbourneSydney

BelgiumLeuven

CanadaTorontoMontreal

GermanyFrankfurtHeidelberg

IsraelJerusalemRamat Gan

NetherlandsAmsterdamGroningenLeidenMaastrichtRotterdam

New ZealandWellington

SwedenLund

SwitzerlandZurich

United StatesPhoenix, AZLa Jolla, CALos Angeles, CAOakland, CAPasadena, CASan Francisco, CASanta Monica, CAStanford, CATampa, FLChampaign, IL

Chicago, ILBoston, MACambridge, MABaltimore, MDAnn Arbor, MIDetroit, MISt. Louis, MOPrinceton, NJCold Spring Harbor, NYNew York, NYRochester, NY

Cleveland, OH Philadelphia, PAProvidence, RINashville, TNHouston, TXSalt Lake City, UTCharlottesville, VASeattle, WA

Australia

Global PresenceLocation of Principal Investigators leading MRA-funded awards, 2008-2011

06 www.curemelanoma.orgCollaborativeMelanomaResearchAlliance.

About MRACollaborative

Collaboration is at MRA's corefrom the

team approaches to research that it funds

to the way it finds partners who can help

realize its vision. Relationships built with

other nonprofits, corporations, and individuals

continue to increase:

MRA and Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) are jointly

funding a Melanoma Dream Team of at least $6

million beginning in early 2012. This ground-

breaking award represents one of the largest single

private grants for melanoma research and the first

collaboration of its kind with SU2C.

In its first ever such offering, MRA selected two

Academic-Industry Partnership Awards in 2011

that will support projects in conjunction with matched

contributions from an industry partner whose

participation is essential to the project. MRA and the

partner company will jointly support research with a

high likelihood of clinical translation to help patients

and those at risk for melanoma.

MRA has co-funded research projects with fellow

cancer research foundations, including the Canadian

Cancer Society, Cancer Research Institute, and

Melanoma Research Foundation.

PREVENTION

Funded by an MRA Team Science Award, Drs. NicholasHayward and Nicholas Martin (Queensland Institute ofMedical Research) and Dr. Graham Mann (WestmeadInstitute for Cancer Research and University of Sydney) discovered five new melanoma risk genes that conferredan increased risk of melanoma between 14 and 22 percent. In contrast to other known risk genes, none of

these appear to be associated withphysical characteristics such as fairskin or moles.

Relative contributionof pigmentation and other genes tomelanoma risk

Relative Contribution of Pigmentation and Other Genes to Melanoma Risk

Through its growing Allies program, MRA has raised

awareness of melanoma and funds for melanoma

research with nearly 50 companies who believe in its

mission. For example, with the help of key Corporate

Allies, including Claires, SkinCeuticals, and The

Sports Authority, MRA reached as many as 19 million

people with information about melanoma while

raising nearly $350,000 for melanoma research

during Melanoma Awareness Month in May 2011.

MRA also leveraged its affiliation with the Milken

Institute by hosting an outreach event on the closing

day of the 2011 Global Conference in Beverly Hills.

The event, supported by Corporate Allies Graff,

Montage and Style Network , introduced the work

of MRA to dozens of new supporters. Expanded

collaborations with additional companies that share

the MRA mission, as wel