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

Pasireotide, will be administered to all patients by s.c. injection, beginning with a dose of 300 μg administered three times daily (t.i.d.) for 2 weeks. If no pasireotide-related clinically meaningful/uncontrolled grade 3 or grade 4 adverse events occur the dose will be administered to all patients at an increased dose of 600 μg t.i.d. for 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of 900 μg t.i.d. and followed by 2 weeks of 1200 μg t.i.d. After the 8 weeks period, patients will be kept on treatment drug (highest dose without clinically meaningful/uncontrolled AEs) , switched to the corresponding pasireotide LAR dose and followed up for an extra 6 months.

At the start of the follow-up phase patients will be switched to pasireotide LAR administered intramuscularly every 28 days by using the following conversion algorithm so that the steady state PK exposure (Cmax and Ctrough) of pasireotide will be maintained: 300 μg s.c. t.i.d. fi 20mg LAR i.m. q 28 days 600 μg s.c. t.i.d. fi 40 mg LAR i.m. q 28 days 900 μg s.c. t.i.d. fi 60 mg LAR i.m. q 28 days 1200 μg s.c. t.id. fi 80 mg LAR i.m. q 28 days In addition, all patients will keep the treatment with pasireotide s.c. during the first 2 weeks of the LAR phase. The use of s.c. dosing during the initial 2 week period following the first LAR dose provides an appropriate level of medication during the LAR nadir.