An experimental melanoma drug made by GlaxoSmithKline has shown promising results in shrinking the size of secondary brain tumors in nine patients with advanced disease according to results of recent clinical trial.

According to a research presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology congress, GSK2118436 can successfully decrease the size of brain metastases.

The development is hopeful because melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer and is very hard to treat once it has spread via the bloodstream to the brain.

"Until now, melanoma has been notoriously resistant to drug therapy in general, and responses in highly lethal brain metastases areparticularly uncommon," remarked lead researcher Georgina Long from Melanoma Institute Australia.

GlaxoSmithKline mentioned it will be moving ahead with Phase III studies of this experimental drug.