Moderna and Merck's mRNA Cancer Vaccine Shows Promising Results in Late-Stage Trial
A groundbreaking clinical trial has shown that an mRNA cancer vaccine developed by Moderna and Merck can slow the return and spread of melanoma when used alongside Keytruda, a checkpoint inhibitor.
The personalized neoantigen vaccine, called intismeran, delivers mRNA that encodes tumor-specific mutations identified from a person's previously removed tumor. This mRNA is bundled into a lipid nanoparticle before being delivered back into a patient to train their body to fight the tumor cells.
In the Phase 3 trial, the combination of intismeran and Keytruda met its primary goal of recurrence-free survival, as well as a secondary end point of distant metastasis-free survival, in patients with completely resected stage IIB-IV melanoma. This mirrors the results of an earlier Phase 2 trial, where the same combination reduced the risk of recurrence and distant metastasis by 49% compared to Keytruda alone.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel hailed the results as a 'pivotal moment for the field of cancer research', saying that the technology has long been aspirational but is now becoming a reality. The two companies will now work to file with drug regulators for approval, with the firms set to split any profits if the vaccine does go to market.