First-in-class cancer drug approved to fight melanoma

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first cancer drug to inhibit a protein – called MEK – that acts in a pathway that fuels tumour growth. The drug, called Mekinist (trametinib), was approved on 29 May for use in advanced melanomas with specific mutations. Other MEK-targeting drugs are being studied in a wide range of tumours, including lung and thyroid cancers.  Read more

Award mints millionaire biologists

A team of entrepreneurs has awarded its first round of $3 million “Breakthrough” prizes in biology and medicine. The winners were already celebrities in scientific circles, but one goal of the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences is to make them household names.  Read more