BMS partners with patients and medical community to launch Parliamentary Friends of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness

Pharma News: In an effort to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment of melanoma and other skin cancers, Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia (BMS) together with the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Advocacy Network (MSCAN) and researchers from the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging & Diagnosis (ACEMID) is conducting complimentary screening for skin cancer for members and senators in Parliament House.

The screening will be conducted by two of Australia’s leading dermatologists, Professor H. Peter Soyer, Chair in Dermatology, Frazer Institute, The University of Queensland and Associate Professor Erin McMeniman, Chair, Queensland Faculty of Dermatology.

The launch of the first Parliamentary Friends of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness followed the skin checks, with the Hon. Jason Clare MP and the Hon. Darren Chester MP as co-chairs for the group.

Last year, the Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) collaborated with BMS, MSD and Novartis to launch the landmark melanoma report. It estimated that without critical action being taken, by 2030 a further 14,000 Australians will die from melanoma, 205,000 will be diagnosed with the disease, and the economic cost to the nation will be $8.7 billion. The report also highlighted that melanoma deaths in Australia exceed the road toll (1,384 vs 1,113), yet road safety funding dramatically exceeds melanoma awareness and prevention funding.

Tamara Dawson, CEO of MSCAN said “Early detection is a critical part of how we can best manage the threat of skin cancers and melanoma. We know that those diagnosed early have an excellent prognosis, with both surgical and systemic treatment options, so we need to make sure that people appreciate the importance of knowing their skin, looking for changes and getting skin checks.

“The Parliamentary Friends of Melanoma and Skin Cancer will be an incredible platform for awareness and MSCAN looks forward to working with the friendship group to reduce the terrible burden of skin cancer in this country.

At the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Meeting 2022, Professor Georgina Long, Co-Medical Director of Melanoma Institute Australia, delivered an oral plenary session on the RELATIVITY-047 clinical trial, which showed the effectiveness of BMS’ Opdualag, a fixed-dose combination of LAG-3 inhibitor relatlimab and PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo (nivolumab), for previously untreated advanced melanoma patients. The combination therapy continued to demonstrate a progression free survival (PFS) benefit vs. monotherapy in patients with previously untreated metastatic or unresectable melanoma, consistent with the primary analysis. The combination treatment demonstrated a 20% reduction in risk of death and numerically improved overall survival (OS) rates, although statistical significance was not reached for this secondary endpoint.

Leah Goodman, Managing Director, Bristol Myers Squibb Australia, said “In recent years we have seen a tremendous shift in the way melanoma patients are treated, with thousands of patients accessing novel treatments in earlier clinical settings. As the treatment landscape continues to improve for melanoma and skin cancer patients it is imperative that we ensure timely PBS listings and access to innovative new medicines for all Australians. We are proud of the role BMS plays in driving change for patients.

“Australian melanoma patients currently have access to immuno-oncology treatments reimbursed in monotherapy, combination, and adjuvant therapy for the treatment of melanoma. BMS is proud of our part in changing the way melanoma is treated and the subsequent increase in the chance of longer-term survival of this deadly disease.”

Despite approvals in other countries, in July 2022, the PBAC did not recommend the listing of Opdualag for the treatment of patients with unresectable Stage III or IV malignant melanoma noting that “there is a low clinical need for Opdualag as there are existing effective treatment options available on the PBS” including BMS’ Opdivo and MSD’s Keytruda as monotherapy and BMS’ Yervoy + Opdivo in combination therapy.”

Reimagining healthcare across the entire patient journey: Health Industry Hub^TM is the only one-stop-hub bringing the diversity of Pharma, MedTech, Diagnostics & Biotech sectors together to inspire meaningful change in healthcare.

The content on Health Industry Hub is copyright protected and can only be accessed under individual user licenses. To subscribe, please click here and visit T&Cs here.