Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic cutaneous melanoma

- Unresectable disease

- Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 bidimensionally measurable lesion by clinical or
radiological techniques (i.e., chest x-ray, CT scan, or conventional MRI scan) using
RECIST criteria

- No history or presence of CNS disease (i.e., primary brain tumor, malignant seizures,
clinically symptomatic CNS metastases, or carcinomatous meningitis)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-2

- Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks

- Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3

- ANC ≥ 1,500/mm^3

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 x ULN (≤ 5 if liver metastases are present)

- Transaminases ≤ 3 x ULN (≤ 5 if liver metastases are present)

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN or creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

- Total urinary protein ≤ 500 mg by 24-hour urine collection

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception

- No history of other malignant disease except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin
cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- No other serious or uncontrolled illness which, in the opinion of the investigator,
precludes study entry

- No medical or psychiatric condition that precludes giving informed consent

- No history of renal disease (e.g., glomerulonephritis) or renal vascular disease

- No acute or chronic active liver disease (e.g., hepatitis or cirrhosis)

- No concurrent severe and/or uncontrolled medical conditions that would compromise
participation in the study, including any of the following:

- Uncontrolled high blood pressure, history of labile hypertension, or history of
poor compliance with an antihypertensive regimen

- Unstable angina pectoris

- Symptomatic congestive heart failure

- Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

- Serious uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia

- Uncontrolled diabetes

- Active or uncontrolled infection

- No impairment of gastrointestinal (GI) function or GI disease that may significantly
alter the absorption of vatalanib including, but not limited to, any of the following
conditions:

- Ulcerative disease

- Uncontrolled nausea

- Vomiting

- Diarrhea which might result in malabsorption

- Any known malabsorption syndrome

- Bowel obstruction

- Inability to swallow the capsules/tablets

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- Recovered from all prior therapy

- Prior adjuvant therapy allowed

- Prior radiotherapy allowed

- Measurable target lesions must not have been irradiated

- No more than one line of prior systemic therapy for advanced melanoma

- More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or investigational agent

- More than 2 weeks since prior surgery

- No concurrent warfarin or other similar oral anticoagulants that are metabolized by
the cytochrome p450 system

- Concurrent heparin allowed

- Concurrent radiotherapy for symptomatic disease is allowed, provided the lesions
being irradiated contribute ≤ 20% of the sum of the longest diameter for all target
lesions being used to determine response