Moderna and Merck's Intismeran Vaccine Meets Trial Goals in Melanoma Study

Moderna and Merck's mRNA melanoma vaccine, Intismeran, has met its trial goals in combination with Keytruda. The Phase 3 study enrolled over 1,100 patients with high-risk melanoma who had undergone surgery to remove the tumor. Volunteers were randomized to receive up to nine doses of Keytruda plus Intismeran or Keytruda alone for about a year.

The results showed that the combination therapy reduced melanoma recurrence and metastasis compared to Keytruda alone. In particular, the study found improved recurrence-free survival in patients with high-risk melanoma. Professor Georgina Long, the principal investigator of the study, called it 'a landmark moment' for adjuvant melanoma treatment.

While the results are promising, some experts caution that more data is needed to fully understand the benefits and risks of Intismeran. Dr. Lennard Lee, a consultant medical oncologist, noted that we do not yet have the magnitude of the Phase III benefit or mature overall-survival results.

The companies plan to present their results at an upcoming medical meeting and share them with regulatory agencies in the next few months. This could pave the way for approval of Intismeran in combination with Keytruda for use in patients with high-risk melanoma.