At a press conference during the 2013 AACR Annual Meeting, Dr Darrin Stuart discussed vemurafenib-resistant tumours in patients with melanoma that showed reduced growth after cessation of treatment and drug resistance was prevented by intermittent treatment, and in animal models.

BRAF mutations are found in more than half of all cases of melanoma, and previous studies have shown vemurafenib increases survival for these patients, according to Stuart. However, most patients relapse with lethal, drug-resistant disease.