Conditions: Malignant Melanoma
Keywords: Melanoma Malignant Abraxane ABI-007 Dacarbazine Dtic-Dome
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 529
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The main purpose of this research study is to compare the safety, tolerability, and anti tumor activity of an investigational drug, ABI-007 versus Dacarbazine in patients with metastatic melanoma who have not previously received chemotherapy. ABI-007 is a new preparation of the active drug paclitaxel. It contains the same medication as the prescription chemotherapy drug Abraxane®. Abraxane® is approved by the FDA for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer after failure of combination chemotherapy for metastatic disease or relapse within 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy. Dacarbazine is approved by the FDA for the treatment of melanoma. In this study, ABI-007 and Dacarbazine will be tested as therapy for people who have not yet had any cancer treatment for the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: Treatment Arm A (ABI-007): Patients who receive ABI-007 will be dosed intravenously over approximately 30 minutes without steroid pre-medication and without G-CSF prophylaxis (unless modified as described below). ABI-007 150 mg/m2 will be administered on Days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks. arm 2: Treatment Arm B (dacarbazine): Patients who receive dacarbazine will be dosed intravenously at 1000 mg/m2 on Day 1 with steroid and antiemetic pre-medication. Treatment will be repeated every 21 days.

Interventions: intervention 1: ABI-007 intervention 2: Dacarbazine
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Patients who receive ABI-007 will be dosed intravenously over approximately 30 minutes without steroid pre-medication and without G-CSF prophylaxis (unless modified as described below). ABI-007 150 mg/m2 will be administered on Days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks. intervention 2: Patients who receive dacarbazine will be dosed intravenously at 1000 mg/m2 on Day 1 with steroid and antiemetic pre-medication. Treatment will be repeated every 21 days.

Protocol document: