A Phase I, Exploratory, Intra-patient Dose Escalation Study to Investigate the Preliminary Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Anti-tumor Activity of Pasireotide (SOM230) s.c.Followed by Pasireotide LAR in Patients With Metastaticmelanoma or Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma

This study will evaluate the preliminary safety, pharmacokinetics, and anti-tumor activity of pasireotide s.c. in patients with metastatic melanoma or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma. The study consists of three phases: screening, intra-patient dose-escalation, and follow-up phases. In the screening phase patient will be informed of all aspects of the study and sign informed consent forms and then be screened for study eligibility. During the intra-patient dose escalation phase, 18 patients will be treated with pasireotide s.c. 300 μg t.i.d. for 2 weeks. If there are no unacceptable AEs, defined as drug-related clinically meaningful, uncontrolled grade 3 or any grade 4 toxicities, patients will be dose escalated to 600 μg t.i.d. for 2 more weeks, then 900 μg t.i.d. for 2 weeks and then 1200 μg for 2 weeks provided that there are no unacceptable AEs. Each patient will be in the dose escalation phase for a maximum of 8 weeks. At end of the intra-patient dose escalation phase, patients will be allowed to switch to 80 mg pasireotide LAR i.m. q 28 d (or a lower dose in case of toxicity) for an additional 6 months or until disease progression, or unacceptable AEs, or patient withdraws consent. In addition, all patients will keep their pasireotide s.c. t.i.d. treatment (same dose as that at the end of the 8-week dose escalation phase) during the first 2 weeks of the LAR follow-up phase, except on the day receiving the first LAR dose because of an anticipated initial burst of drug release.