Moderna Cancer Vaccine Shows Promising Results in Phase III Trial
Moderna's experimental personalized cancer vaccine has sent its stock price soaring after preliminary trial results were released. The biotech firm is developing the vaccine in collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck), and it uses Moderna's mRNA technology to create a tailored vaccine for each patient based on genetic mutations in their individual tumors.
The Phase III clinical trial included over 1100 patients with stage IIIc melanoma, all of whom underwent surgical removal of their tumors prior to participating in the study. The combination of the vaccine and Keytruda, Merck's widely used cancer medication, achieved its primary objective: delaying both recurrence and metastasis of cancer.
The trial also reported that there were no previously unknown safety issues related to either the vaccine or Keytruda during the course of the trial. Moderna's stock increased by over 90% in pre-market trading, while Merck's stock rose in response to news about the vaccine's success.