Plexxikon is a leader in the discovery and development of novel, small molecule pharmaceuticals using its Scaffold-Based Drug Discovery Platform™. The company has built a robust and diverse pipeline of clinical and preclinical stage programs in a number of therapeutic areas including oncology, CNS, inflammation and metabolic disease. At the time of Plexxikon’s acquisition in 2011 by Daiichi Sankyo, its lead product, PLX4032, was in a Phase 3 trial for treating patients with metastatic melanoma with BRAF mutation. PLX4032 was approved shortly thereafter by the FDA, and is marketed by Roche under the brand name  Zelboraf in the U.S. and other countries.

For a riveting account of the progression of the clinical trials that ultimately resulted in the approval of Zelboraf, see “A Roller Coaster Chase for a Cure” and two related articles published by the New York Times in February 2010.