Dasatinib, also known as BMS-354825, is a cancer drug produced by Bristol-Myers Squibb and sold under the trade name Sprycel. Dasatinib is a promising drug for melanoma and the clinicaltrials.gov websit lists 4 ongoing phase II trials, for example, Dasatinib in Treating Patients With Stage III Melanoma That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery or Stage IV Melanoma, NCT00436605. Melanomas from acral lentiginous, mucosal and chronic sun-damaged sites frequently harbor activating mutations and/or increased copy number in the KIT tyrosine kinase receptor gene, which are very rare in more common cutaneous melanomas. Multiple case reports and early observations from clinical trials suggested that targeting mutant KIT with small molecule KIT inhibitors such as imatinib (Gleevec, Novartis) and/or dasatinib (Sprycel, BristolMyersSquibb) is efficacious. The most recent publication by Kalinski et al concllded: “The dasatinib response rate among KIT+ melanoma patients was low. In view of its clinical activity, it is recommended that imatinib remain the KIT tyrosine kinase inhibitor of choice for unresectable KIT+ melanoma”.

Kalinsky K et al, A phase 2 trial of dasatinib in patients with locally advanced or stage IV mucosal, acral, or vulvovaginal melanoma: A trial of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (E2607). Cancer 2017;123:2688-97. © 2017 American Cancer Society.:

nccn.org, melanoma 2019

Wen-Jen Hwu, MD, PhD, HemOnc Today, Targeted therapy for metastatic melanoma: From bench to bedside  June 25, 2010

Kluger HM, Dudek AZ, McCann C, et al. A phase 2 trial of dasatinib in advanced melanoma. Cancer. 2011;117(10):2202–2208.