Moderna and Merck's Melanoma Vaccine Trials Yield Positive Results
Moderna and Merck have concluded the final phase of clinical trials for their melanoma vaccine, which has yielded 'positive results'.
The combination of the vaccine with immunotherapy showed promise in reducing the risk of relapse or death in patients with advanced melanoma, according to the companies. This development could establish a new treatment paradigm for skin cancer.
The experimental vaccine is an individualized shot based on messenger RNA that targets specific mutations in each patient's tumor. It encodes up to 34 neoantigens and adapts to the unique biology of each patient's tumor, teaching their immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells if they reappear.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said, 'For many years, the idea of creating an RNA treatment specifically designed for a person's cancer was difficult to imagine. Now we are helping to make this vision a reality.'