Summary
Methoxsalen has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Melanoma would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Melanoma. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3 registered trials linking Methoxsalen to Melanoma: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 is active or not yet recruiting; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT07619898). It plans or enrolled 112 participants. Registration activity spans 2021 to 2026. The literature layer holds 1 publication for this pair: 1 clinical trial publication. The dated items are from 2010. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Melanoma ranks 50 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Spontaneous regression documented in ~0.4% of metastatic melanoma cases; early-stage surgical resection: 90%+ 5-year survival for Stage I; Stage IV (metastatic): historically <10% 5-year survival.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 30.0 (trials 8.0, literature 2.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 3 total: 1 recruiting, 1 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 1 (1 clinical trial publication) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | Open Targets, ChEMBL |
| Linked via biomarker / target | AKT1 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07619898 | PHOENIX-ECP- Extracorporeal Photopheresis for Immune-related Colitis and/or Hepatitis in Advanced Melanoma With Inadequate Response to Steroid Exposure 2026 | not yet recruiting | Phase 2 | 112 |
| NCT06646016 | EPIC- Extracorporeal Photopheresis (ECP) for Immune-related Colitis 2025 | withdrawn | Phase 2 | — |
| NCT04389281 | X-ray Psoralen Activated Cancer Therapy in Head and Neck, Breast, Sarcoma and Melanoma 2021 | recruiting | Phase 1 | 52 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Comparative evaluation of NBUVB phototherapy and PUVA photochemotherapy in chronic plaque psoriasisDayal S, Mayanka, Jain VK · Indian journal of dermatology, venereology and leprology · 2010 · PMID 20826993
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target AKT1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Methoxsalen approved for Melanoma?
Methoxsalen has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Melanoma would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Melanoma. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Methoxsalen in clinical trials for Melanoma?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3 registered trials linking Methoxsalen to Melanoma: 1 is currently recruiting; 1 is active or not yet recruiting; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT07619898). It plans or enrolled 112 participants. Registration activity spans 2021 to 2026.
What does the evidence show for Methoxsalen in Melanoma?
Trials of Methoxsalen in Melanoma are registered but none has completed, so there is no outcome evidence from those studies yet; the record is a signal of research interest. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target AKT1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-06. Page built 2026-10-07.