Plexxikon, Roche melanoma drug moves closer to European OK

A European drug review panel recommended that the melanoma treatment Zelboraf, developed by Berkeley-based Plexxikon Inc., be approved by regulators, the company said Friday.
Approval could come as early as February, said Swiss drug maker Roche, which is marketing Zelboraf.
The oral drug is aimed at metastatic melanoma patients who have a specific mutation of a protein called BRAF. That mutation is found in about half of all melanoma cases.