Moderna and Merck have released preliminary results from their phase 3 clinical trial for an mRNA-based skin cancer vaccine, after data leaked on social media. The trial tested a personalized mRNA vaccine called intismeran autogene combined with pembrolizumab (Keytruda), a drug designed to help the immune system detect cancer. The results showed that the dual treatment reduced the risk of cancer recurrence or death by 42% compared to pembrolizumab alone, after a median follow-up of about two years. Additionally, the treatment reduced the risk of cancer spreading or death by 38%.
Karen Knudsen, CEO of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, called the findings "really encouraging," noting that mRNA cancer vaccines were once considered "fiction." However, she cautioned that the results do not yet include overall survival data, which will be crucial in assessing the treatment's long-term benefits. Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel emphasized the potential of mRNA technology to revolutionize cancer treatment by tailoring therapies to individual patients' tumors.
The findings have been accepted for publication in the New England Journal of Medicine, and the companies are now engaging with regulatory authorities to seek approval for the vaccine. Moderna's stock dropped following the release of the results, despite the positive outcomes highlighted by experts.