Melanoma

I invested in shares of MELA last year on its promising MelaFind technology to detect melanomas with 98% accuracy, way above the expected 60 - 70% accuracy by expert dermatologists. I took profits in MELA despite my continued optimism for MelaFind's eventual approval. The commercialization roll out plan wasn't clear to me, and in fact, the PDUFA date was delayed until November 18, 2010. MELA shares may rise in anticipation of FDA approval.

In a related peer-reviewed article, a surprising trend for melanoma was revealed.

http://www.onenewspage.com/news/Health/20100827/14464544/Health-and-melanoma-cancer-using-MelaFind.htm

According to the New England Journal of Medicine published Wednesday August 25th 2010, 68,000 are diagnosed with melanoma each year. While it was believed that whites with the fairest skin and blue eyes were most at risk the number are 4.5% of whites, 8% of Latinos, and 15% of African Americans. Now the good news is that an experimental tool named MelaFind is like the same outer space recognition tool that is used in outer space. Dermatologists claim that while they find melanomas two thirds of the time MelaFind finds melanomas 98% of the time, and compares it to other melanomas both...

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Disclosure: no position in MELA. A family member still has a position in MELA.

ARNA Q2 earnings report

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Arena-Pharmaceuticals-prnews-3737388002.html?x=0&.v=1

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:ARNA - News) today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010, and recent developments, including the successful Pre-Approval Inspection, or PAI, of the company's Swiss drug product manufacturing facility by the US Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.

"We have recently achieved a number of important milestones, including the establishment of an agreement with Eisai for the commercialization of lorcaserin in the US, the successful completion of the FDA's pre-approval inspection of our Swiss manufacturing facility and the publication of our BLOOM trial results in the New England Journal of Medicine," stated Jack Lief, Arena's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are continuing to execute on our plans for lorcaserin as we prepare for the September FDA advisory committee meeting and potential regulatory approval."

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Disclosure: long ARNA sharews.