Fueling Breakthroughs: The Melanoma Research Alliance Announces $9.3M Melanoma Research Investment

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the world's leading non-profit funder of melanoma research, announced its $9.3 million investment to drive cutting-edge melanoma research worldwide. This new funding supports 30 high-impact research projects at leading academic and medical institutions in the United States, Europe and Australia. 

Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, remains a public health threat. This year, over 100,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with melanoma and one person, every hour of every day will die from melanoma. Amid widespread reductions in cancer research nationally, MRA is proud to fuel new investments that accelerate discoveries and improve patient outcomes.

"MRA stands at the forefront of the breakthroughs that have redefined melanoma research and care," said MRA's Chief Executive Officer Marc Hurlbert, PhD. "When MRA was founded in 2007, melanoma research was limited, and treatment options were few. Today, patients with advanced melanoma have access to 17 FDA-approved treatments. This progress is saving lives and transforming how cancer is treated overall. We remain grateful to our supporters who made another groundbreaking year of research investments possible."

"Melanoma research has made astounding progress, but we are on the cusp of so much more," said MRA Chief Science Officer Joan Levy, PhD. "Nearly half of patients with advanced melanoma do not respond to current treatments, so it is incumbent upon us to keep driving research forward. We are extremely pleased with the portfolio of projects that MRA is supporting in this year's grant cycle as they are addressing critically needed research areas for the melanoma field."

MRA rigorously reviews grants for their ultimate potential to move the field forward through accountable, collaborative efforts in five high priority strategic areas: 

• Understanding Rare Melanomas – advancing research into hard-to-treat and understudied melanoma subtypes that are not caused by UV exposure
• Stopping Metastasis and Leptomeningeal Disease – targeting the spread of melanoma to the brain, spine and other vital areas
• Innovating Neoadjuvant/Adjuvant Treatments – improving therapies before and after surgery to boost survival rates
• Supercharging Anti-Tumor Immune Responses – enhancing the body's ability to recognize and destroy cancer cells
• Revolutionizing Diagnostics and Predictive Biomarkers – developing better tools to detect, predict and personalize melanoma care

MRA works with the best and brightest minds around the world who are singularly focused on improving outcomes and saving more lives.

Learn more about MRA's 2025 research investments at www.curemelanoma.org/25grants

About the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA):
The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) is the largest private, non-profit funder of melanoma research worldwide. Founded in 2007 by Debra and Leon Black, MRA's mission is to end suffering and death due to melanoma by advancing the most promising science and research. MRA-funded investigators have been at the forefront of every major melanoma breakthrough, helping to drive the approval of more than 17 new therapeutic approaches. Through strategic investments across prevention, diagnosis, treatment, metastasis, and survivorship, MRA is transforming outcomes for patients worldwide. Thanks to the generosity of MRA's founders, 100% of all public donations support innovative melanoma research — without any overhead or administrative costs. MRA is recognized as one of the most fiscally efficient nonprofits in the country. Learn more at www.CureMelanoma.org.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

• MRA: Dana Deighton, Director of Communications and Engagement. [email protected]
  
  
• KWT Global: [email protected]

SOURCE Melanoma Research Alliance