Conditions: Acral Lentiginous Malignant Melanoma Lentigo Maligna Malignant Melanoma Nodular Malignant Melanoma Recurrent Melanoma Solar Radiation-related Skin Melanoma Stage IV Melanoma Superficial Spreading Malignant Melanoma
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 36
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This phase II trial is studying how well gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097 works in treating patients with stage IV melanoma. Gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097 may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth.

Detailed description:
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To assess the six-month progression-free survival and one-year overall survival probability in Stage IV melanoma patients treated with RO4929097 (gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097).

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To investigate in a preliminary manner the relationship between Notch activation status and gene expression profile of tumor and clinical outcomes from patients in this study.

II. To study the effects of the investigational therapy on T cell function, which will provide a basis for subsequent trials combining Notch blockade with immunomodulatory therapy for advanced melanoma.

III. To assess the response rate (confirmed and unconfirmed complete and partial responses).

IV. To assess toxicity.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients receive gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097 orally (PO) on days 1-3, 8-10, and 15-17. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Some patients undergo blood collection at baseline and during study for analysis of T-cell function by flow cytometry and ELISA. Tumor tissue samples from biopsy or surgery are also analyzed for Notch activation by IHC and qRT-PCR.

After completion of study therapy, patients are followed up every 3 months for 1 year and then every 6 months for 2 years.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients receive gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097 PO on days 1-3, 8-10, and 15-17. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Interventions: intervention 1: gamma-secretase/Notch signalling pathway inhibitor RO4929097 intervention 2: laboratory biomarker analysis
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Given PO intervention 2: Correlative studies

Protocol document: