Powering Progress: The Melanoma Research Alliance Announces $18.4 Million Global Research Investment to Accelerate the Next Era of Melanoma Breakthroughs

WASHINGTON, May 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the world's leading non-profit funder of melanoma research, announced its largest annual global investment of $18.4 million to advance the next generation of breakthroughs in melanoma detection and treatment.

This year's portfolio supports 30 discovery-stage research grants, alongside advancing the RARE Melanoma Research Consortium and the Melanoma Biorepository – critical infrastructure designed to unlock insights into the most complex and underserved forms of the disease. These new investments span leading academic and medical institutions across the United States and 5 countries, reinforcing MRA's role as a global convener accelerating progress across the field.

Melanoma remains the deadliest form of skin cancer, with more than 234,000 new cases expected in 2026, of which 112,000 will be invasive melanoma. Despite meaningful advances in early detection and treatments, incidence continues to rise underscoring the urgent need for sustained investment in innovative research.

"Through the generosity of our supporters, MRA has been able to identify and fund high-impact research with great potential to contribute to life saving results," said MRA's Chief Executive Officer Marc Hurlbert, PhD. "Since 2007 when MRA was founded, 19 FDA-approved treatments options have become available, and we are now building on that game-changing research looking at things from circadian immunodynamics to spatial and AI-powered insights and identifying new therapies as well as understanding drug resistance. Discovery is not always linear, but MRA's persistence has contributed to some exponential results that are transforming how cancer is treated overall."

Since its founding in 2007, MRA has played a catalytic role in advancing the science behind many of today's treatment approaches such as immune checkpoint inhibitors now regularly used across various solid tumors, and continues to fund research at the forefront of innovation: from unraveling the tumor microenvironment and understanding drug resistance to AI-enabled diagnostics and precision immunotherapy.

"This is a pivotal time for melanoma research and we are confident that the combination of world-class investigational research and the multidisciplinary resources now available through MRA's direct to patient RARE Registry, the newly formed RARE Melanoma Consortium and samples collected in the Melanoma Biorepository will synergize, leading to new and better disease options for personalized care," said MRA Chief Science Officer Joan Levy, PhD. "We have come a long way in the past 15 years, but we still have a long way to go. Nearly half of patients with advanced melanoma do not respond to current treatments, so we are laser focused on finding new options through our exceptional grant program and other internal research initiatives."

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

• Rare Melanomas: advancing research in understudied and difficult-to-treat subtypes of melanoma including acral, mucosal, pediatric and uveal
• Metastasis & Central Nervous System: targeting the spread to the brain and central nervous system
• Therapeutic Optimization: improving outcomes before and after surgery
• Immune Response Innovation: enhancing anti-tumor activity
• Diagnostics & Biomarkers: enabling earlier detection and precision care.

Learn more about MRA's 2026 research investments at www.curemelanoma.org/26grants

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 19 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]
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SOURCE Melanoma Research Alliance