Merck and Moderna's Cancer Vaccine Breakthrough

Merck and Moderna's personalized cancer vaccine has shown promising results in preventing the return of melanoma in over 1,000 patients. The treatment, called intismeran autogene, involves up to nine doses of Merck's immunotherapy drug Keytruda, infused every six weeks, plus a customized mRNA vaccine that instructs the immune system to attack specific cancer cells.

The companies said they saw no new side effects with the addition of the vaccine, which is a major breakthrough in the field. Dr. Ryan Sullivan, director of the Center for Melanoma at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, called the study 'a big deal' and said there's hope that these approaches may change the way we treat cancer more broadly.

The trial result validates mRNA technology as a cancer treatment, according to Dr. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The companies have several large trials underway in non-small cell lung cancers and are studying the combination in mid-stage trials in patients with bladder and kidney cancers.