Moderna and Merck's Melanoma Vaccine Shows Promising Results

Pharmaceutical giants Moderna and Merck announced promising results from an experimental vaccine treatment for melanoma. The mRNA-based vaccine, called Intismeran, was tested in a late-stage trial involving high-risk patients who had already undergone surgery to remove the deadly form of skin cancer.

The study showed that the combination of Intismeran and Merck's cancer immunotherapy Keytruda extended the time before cancer returned in these patients. Although the companies have not published their results in a peer-reviewed journal, they claim it is the first-ever breakthrough of its kind.

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel called the findings 'a pivotal moment for the field of cancer research,' saying that the idea of creating an mRNA treatment designed specifically for an individual patient's cancer was now becoming a reality. The companies have not released the new data, but it will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting and shared with regulators.

Moderna shares soared as much as 106% in pre-market trading on the news, while Merck shares were up 7%.