For three decades, the MRF has supported innovative and transformational research that has led to new clinical trials and therapeutics. As we approach year-end, we are reminded of the tremendous progress for the melanoma community, inclusive of two recent announcements garnering significant positive cutaneous and uveal melanoma patient impact.

At the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress this month, Merck and Moderna presented results from the Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial, marking an important milestone in melanoma treatment. Data demonstrate that adding intismeran autogene (intismeran, V940, or mRNA-4157), an investigational personalized mRNA vaccine, to Keytruda (pembrolizumab) significantly reduced the risk of melanoma returning in patients whose high-risk melanoma had been surgically removed. After two years, 82% of patients receiving the combination were alive without their cancer returning, compared with 70% receiving Keytruda alone. The combination also significantly reduced the risk of cancer spreading to distant parts, while being equally well tolerated by patients as compared to those treated with only Keytruda.

Intismeran is a first-of-its-kind personalized cancer vaccine, where the vaccine is produced using information from the patient’s tumor that trains the patient’s immune system to attack melanoma cells that remain after surgery. Merck and Moderna continue along the path towards regulatory approval for intismeran, which, if successful, would provide an entirely new tool to fight melanoma. You can learn more about the Phase 3 results, here.

New results from three clinical trials from IDEAYA were also presented at ESMO. The findings suggest that an oral therapeutic, darovasertib, could offer meaningful benefits to people with uveal melanoma. In patients with metastatic disease, combining darovasertib with another oral therapeutic, crizotinib, helped keep cancer from growing or spreading for longer than standard treatment options. Importantly, the data showed that patients may benefit regardless of their HLA-A*02:01 status, a genetic marker that determines eligibility for some existing uveal melanoma treatments.

Darovasertib alone showed promise for patients with primary uveal melanoma, where the disease is confined to the eye. Data from this trial show that tumors shrank in the majority of patients, allowing 57% of patients in one cohort to avoid losing their eye and 66% of patients in another cohort to reduce the amount of radiotherapy they received. These investigational results offer hope for expanded treatment options for uveal melanoma, particularly for early-stage disease where there currently are no approved systemic treatment options. You can learn more about the daravasertib trial results here.  

Your generous support enables the MRF to fund critical melanoma research that could pave the way for the newest innovation in melanoma treatment. We invite you to make or renew your tax-deductible year-end gift to fuel research and hope for the melanoma community.  

Kyleigh LiPira, MBA

CEO

New York, Thank You for 25 Years of Impact and

30 Years of Progress

(Pictured Left to Right: James Merrick, MRF Chief Communications Officer; Robin Roberts, Co-Anchor of ABC's "Good Morning America"; Kyleigh LiPira, MRF CEO and Amani Toomer, Former NFL Giants Wide Receiver)

New York, we can’t thank you enough for making our 25th Annual New York Gala truly unforgettable! This milestone evening celebrated not only 25 years of the Gala but also 30 years of the MRF and the incredible community that makes our mission possible. Thanks to your extraordinary generosity, we’re now just $97,000 away from reaching our fundraising goal—a powerful reminder that Progress is Power!

We were honored to welcome Robin Roberts, co-anchor of ABC’s "Good Morning America" and President of Rock’n Robin Productions, as our event emcee, and Amani Toomer, former NFL New York Giants wide receiver and Super Bowl champion, as our special guest. The funds raised will help support 2026 Established Investigator Awardee Eva Hernando, PhD, of NYU Grossman School of Medicine, whose research is exploring how melanoma can manipulate the brain’s immune environment to help tumors grow and evade the immune system. By studying a protein called progranulin and developing innovative ways to deliver treatments into the brain, her work aims to make brain metastases more vulnerable to treatment and improve outcomes for patients with limited options. Your generosity fuels groundbreaking discoveries that bring us closer to better treatments and a future without melanoma.

Help us cross the finish line! If you haven’t had a chance to give or would like to make an even greater impact, there’s still time to make a meaningful, tax-deductible donation. Click below to donate today and help us reach our goal! 

Donor Spotlight: Jimmy Hexter

Mucosal Melanoma Survivor

One of the most meaningful measures of our community’s impact is when those we honor become champions of our mission. At last year’s 24th Annual New York Gala, Jimmy Hexter, a mucosal melanoma survivor, received a Courage Award. This year, he returned as a donor and sponsor of our 25th Annual Gala, demonstrating his continued commitment to the melanoma community.

As Jimmy shared, “I was honored last year at the MRF New York Gala and was deeply moved by the organization, the community it has built and the impact it has on so many lives. I was inspired to sponsor the gala and return this year to continue supporting the MRF and to stay connected to its mission and community. For those of us whose lives have been touched by melanoma, the MRF makes a profound difference. Ensuring that it continues to thrive and expand its impact is something I care deeply about.”

We’re incredibly grateful to Jimmy for his generosity and for helping advance the MRF’s mission to accelerate melanoma research, provide education and advocate for patients and their families. Click here to learn more about Jimmy's full melanoma story.

(Pictured Left to Right: Jason Sessions, Event Co-Chair and Melissa Papock, Host Committee Member)

What an incredible evening at the 6th Annual #GetNakedJax! Thanks to the generosity of our amazing community, we’ve raised $286,000 and counting to advance melanoma research and exceeded our fundraising goal by 15%, with more than 200 attendees joining us for this unforgettable night!

We were honored to present a Courage Award to melanoma thriver Ritchie Lewis, whose story was a powerful reminder of why this mission matters. Behind every research breakthrough is the potential for better treatments, more survivors and more hope for families impacted by melanoma.

Funds raised through this year’s event will support 2026 Career Development Awardee Luiz Henrique Medeiros Geraldo, MD, PhD, of NYU Grossman School of Medicine. His research explores why some melanomas resist immunotherapy and aims to uncover new ways to help more patients benefit from treatment. Providing more insight into his research, Dr. Gerlado offers, "Our research focuses on a particular population of melanoma patients with few treatment options and less hope of a cure: patients that did not respond to immunotherapy. We have identified specific proteins that are more present in tumors that are resistant to immunotherapy and developed blocking antibodies that target this pathway. We are now testing these potential treatments in the lab with the goal to turn resistant tumors into tumors that respond to immunotherapy. It is the initial step, but a key one towards developing new treatment options for when immunotherapies fail." Learn more about Dr. Geraldo's research here.

Our work isn’t over yet! There’s still time to make a difference. Every donation helps fuel critical melanoma research and brings us one step closer to a future without melanoma.

Education Corner

ICYMI: Tune into our Recent Ask the Expert - Treatment of Immunotherapy Resistant Melanoma

If you missed our recent Ask the Expert webinar on navigating treatment decisions after immunotherapy, the recording is now available to view.  

You’ll hear from Yana Najjar, MD as she explores the melanoma journey and treatment options for immunotherapy-resistant melanoma, with a spotlight on the newly FDA approved TUDRIQEV®, an oncolytic viral therapy. Dr. Najjar also overviews patient eligibility for this therapy and what to expect during treatment, including administration, potential side effects and practical strategies for managing them. 

Additionally, you'll also learn from Erin Pazour, a patient advocate who shares her personal experience on the RP1 Clinical Trial, emphasizing the importance of trust in her healthcare providers and manageable side effects. Patients and caregivers will gain valuable insights to better understand the evolving melanoma treatment landscape. View the recording here!

Thank you to Replimune for sponsoring this Ask the Expert webinar and their commitment to supporting patient education.

Recording Available: Together Against Melanoma Patient & Caregiver Symposium with Johns Hopkins and UMBC

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Together Against Melanoma Patient & Caregiver Symposium, presented in partnership with Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. 

From the latest research and treatment advances and hearing from melanoma patients to practical guidance and resources, the day was filled with learning, connection and meaningful conversations. A special thank you to our expert speakers, sponsors, patients, caregivers, advocates and community members who shared their knowledge, experiences and perspectives. 

Together, we are advancing awareness, empowering patients and caregivers and building a stronger melanoma community.

Join Us Nov. 14 for a Day of Education and Support at the Next Together Against Melanoma Patient & Caregiver Symposium

Join us at our next Together Against Melanoma Patient and Caregiver Symposium in collaboration with Mayo Clinic on November 14 in Jacksonville, Florida. 

This free, one-day event will bring together leading melanoma experts to share the latest advances in treatment, research and patient care while providing opportunities to connect with others in the melanoma community. 

Session Topics Include: 

• Risk Factors for Melanoma: Facts vs. Myths 
• Intralesional and Regional Therapy for Melanoma 
• Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) Therapy 
• Surgical Management of Melanoma 
• Understanding Clinical Trials: Myths, Facts and Opportunities 
• Ask the Mayo Melanoma Experts (Interactive Panel)

Whether you're a patient, caregiver, survivor or advocate, you'll gain practical insights, valuable resources and meaningful connections to help you navigate the melanoma journey.

We'd like to thank our sponsors for helping make this event possible. Their generosity supports critical melanoma prevention, research, treatment advancements and patient support programs.

Hear From Kyleigh LiPira on the Colorscience Podcast: Know Better Skin

Our CEO, Kyleigh LiPira, MBA, recently joined a Colorescience podcast to discuss advances in melanoma research, treatment, early detection of melanoma, prevention, self-care and the MRF's mission to support patients through education and advocacy and accelerate progress toward a cure.  

Congratulations to the 2026 MRF Breakthrough Consortium Pilot Translational Awardees!

We are pleased to announce this year's recipients of the prestigious MRF Breakthrough Consortium (MRFBC) Pilot Translational Awards: Shankar Suman, PhD of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for his research project titled, "Spatial Characterization of Macrophages in SLN of Melanoma," with funding provided by the friends and family of Doug and Terry Brodman and Michael Postow, MD of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for his research on, "Linking CD8 Imaging and Outcomes in Melanoma," with funding provided by Doug and Terry Brodman.

The MRFBC is a national network of 34 centers of excellence in melanoma that collaborate to accelerate research and the development of the most promising therapies in melanoma treatment. The MRFBC Pilot Translational Award will enable further investigations and collaborations that will ultimately enhance clinicians' ability to map and target specific treatments that optimize patient outcomes. 

Since 1998, the MRF has invested more than $29 million into research, a symbol of our deep commitment to supporting research and providing more hope for patients and their loved ones.

Learn more about the MRF's Research Grant Program here.

The Miles for Melanoma Season Isn't Over Yet—Join Us for Our Final 5Ks!

The Miles for Melanoma season isn’t over yet! There’s still time to join the movement! We’re heading into the final stretch of our 5K season, and we want YOU to be part of it!

Gather your friends and family, rally your team and join our incredible melanoma community at an upcoming event: Atlanta, GA (Nov 8), Morristown, NJ (Nov 15), Fort Myers, FL (Dec 12) and Miami, FL (Feb 7). Sign up, fundraise and earn exciting incentives while helping fund critical melanoma research and support patients and families impacted by this disease. Every mile makes a difference, and every dollar brings us closer to a future without melanoma. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the impact!