Bristol-Meyers Squibb and Roche announced on June 1 that they have entered into a collaborative agreement that will have both companies clinically studying Yervoy, which was recently linked to Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Yervoy, (ipilimumab) made by Bristol-Meyers Squibb, will be evaluated by the company in combination with Roche’s investigational oral BRAF inhibitor, vemurafenib. The drugs are used to treat people suffering from a specific type of metastatic melanoma.

The terms of the agreement have the two companies conducting a Phase I/II study that are going to check out the safety and efficacy of the drugs when they are used together. If they can, the companies plan to do more developments with the combination of drugs. The agreement itself is a major step as far as cross-company collaborations go when it comes to exploring the potential role that this regimen can have in the treatment of metastatic melanoma.

Brian Daniels, senior vice president of development and medical affairs for Bristol-Meyers Squibb, says, “Metastatic melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. We are excited to be working with Roche to evaluate the potential that together Yervoy and vemurafenib could improve outcomes for melanoma patients.”

Yervoy, which was recently approved by the FDA as a treatment for an inoperable form of melanoma, has been linked with various skin conditions. One of them is Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS.) SJS is a potentially deadly condition that causes a person’s body to burn from the inside out. It causes symptoms like rash, painful blisters all over the body and inside mucus membranes and skin to peel off in large chunks.

If you or someone you love contracts SJS after taking Yervoy, contact attorney Greg Jones today for a free consultation. I will fight hard to help you get the compensation you may be entitled to.