Moderna and Merck's Skin Cancer Breakthrough Could Revolutionize Treatment

Moderna and Merck's intismeran autogene has shown promising results in a Phase 3 trial for skin cancer patients. This therapy uses mRNA technology, the same used in coronavirus vaccines, to treat melanoma. Researchers have been exploring the use of mRNA drugs to treat cancer for years, but this is the first to clear a Phase 3 trial.

The treatment combines intismeran with an approved immunotherapy called Keytruda and has shown to cut the risk of re-occurrence or death by nearly half after five years. In the larger Phase 3 trial of 1,137 patients, the drug prevented recurrence and metastasis under the same regimen.

Experts believe this success could establish a new way of treating cancer, with versions of the treatment already being studied in lung, kidney, bladder, and other cancers. Moderna President Stephen Hoge said that mRNA injections can be faster to design and manufacture than conventional vaccines, and that the company will apply for FDA approval 'as fast as possible'.