DOD Melanoma Research Program announces anticipated funding opportunities

After a brief government shutdown, FY26 funding bill is signed into law
NIH gets $415M raise, NCI gets $128M more, CDMRP funding largely restored

On Feb. 3, the House of Representatives passed the Senate Amendment to H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, by a vote of 217 to 214. Later that day, President Donald Trump signed the bill into law, officially ending the brief partial government shutdown that began on Jan. 31.

Neoadjuvant pembrolizumab helps shrink tumors in patients with desmoplastic melanoma

In a recent multi-institutional clinical trial, 71% of patients who received the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, before surgery had no detectable cancer remaining at the time of surgery.

February 06, 2026

Vol.52 No.05

Podcast

The soul of oncology: Centering patient stories amid funding saga

Last week’s issue of The Cancer Letter included an obituary that the entire staff at The Cancer Letter had been dreading for years: Abdallah Abou Zahr, an oncologist at Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo, ND, died Jan. 23 of a liposarcoma after a five-year battle with the disease.

February 04, 2026

Capitol Hill

FY26 funding package blocked in Senate after ICE shooting of Alex Pretti
New package—likely excluding DHS—may go back to House early next week

An argument can be made that anyone who has attempted to follow the path of spending bills on Capitol Hill over the past ten days should be evaluated for whiplash.

Itismeran autogene + Keytruda demonstrated improvement in recurrence-free survival in neoadjuvant melanoma

Moderna and Merck announced median five-year follow-up data from the phase IIb KEYNOTE-942/mRNA-4157-P201 study, evaluating intismeran autogene (mRNA-4157 or V940), an investigational mRNA-based individualized neoantigen therapy, in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, in patients with high-risk melanoma (stage 3/4) following complete resection.

January 30, 2026

Vol.52 No.04

Capitol Hill

Fifth time’s a charm? Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act is included in FY26 spending bill

Sometime next week, the Senate is expected to vote on a legislative package that would determine the fiscal year 2026 spending levels for much of the federal government. xxx:moreReaders of The Cancer Letter may be breathing a sigh of relief that NIH seems like

January 23, 2026

Vol.52 No.03

By Jacquelyn Cobb

DOD Melanoma Research Program announces anticipated funding opportunities

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

After a brief government shutdown, FY26 funding bill is signed into law
NIH gets $415M raise, NCI gets $128M more, CDMRP funding largely restored

Neoadjuvant pembrolizumab helps shrink tumors in patients with desmoplastic melanoma

The soul of oncology: Centering patient stories amid funding saga

FY26 funding package blocked in Senate after ICE shooting of Alex Pretti
New package—likely excluding DHS—may go back to House early next week

Itismeran autogene + Keytruda demonstrated improvement in recurrence-free survival in neoadjuvant melanoma

Fifth time’s a charm? Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act is included in FY26 spending bill

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DOD Melanoma Research Program announces anticipated funding opportunities

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

After a brief government shutdown, FY26 funding bill is signed into lawNIH gets $415M raise, NCI gets $128M more, CDMRP funding largely restored

Neoadjuvant pembrolizumab helps shrink tumors in patients with desmoplastic melanoma

The soul of oncology: Centering patient stories amid funding saga

FY26 funding package blocked in Senate after ICE shooting of Alex PrettiNew package—likely excluding DHS—may go back to House early next week

Itismeran autogene + Keytruda demonstrated improvement in recurrence-free survival in neoadjuvant melanoma

Fifth time’s a charm? Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act is included in FY26 spending bill

Never miss an issue!

Login

After a brief government shutdown, FY26 funding bill is signed into law
NIH gets $415M raise, NCI gets $128M more, CDMRP funding largely restored

FY26 funding package blocked in Senate after ICE shooting of Alex Pretti
New package—likely excluding DHS—may go back to House early next week