• Threshold Pharmaceuticals Inc., of South San Francisco, said it initiated a Phase II trial to test TH-302, its hypoxia-targeted drug, in patients with melanoma. The single-arm trial will test TH-302 administered at 480 mg/m2 weekly on a 28-day cycle in up to 40 patients with advanced disease, with the primary endpoint of three-month progression-free survival. Secondary endpoints include response rate, duration of response, overall survival and safety. The study also will investigate a range of biomarkers, including serum, tumor biopsy and PET imaging hypoxia biomarkers that may predict treatment outcomes and be associated with tumor response to TH-302 therapy. Threshold's partner, Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck KGaA, will fund 70 percent of the development costs associated with the study.