Moderna Cancer Treatment Breakthrough Lifts Shares Amid Amazon Drone Delivery Expansion
Moderna shares surged on Wednesday after releasing initial results from a study of an experimental cancer treatment. The treatment, developed in partnership with Merck, uses an mRNA-based cancer vaccine called intismeran that is tailored to individual patients based on unique mutations within their tumors.
The study compared the effectiveness of using intismeran and Keytruda together against using Keytruda alone in melanoma patients. The results showed that patients who received the combination lived longer without cancer returning or metastasizing than those who got Keytruda alone.
Moderna shares rose more than 120% to $140.12 a share, while Merck's shares increased by about 11%. The study is significant as it would be the first of its kind if approved by regulators.
In other news, Amazon announced plans to expand its drone delivery operation nationwide into hundreds of new communities by the end of the year. This move would increase the number of areas where drones can deliver smaller packages from sixfold, making it possible for millions more people to receive their orders via drone.