Moderna-Merck Cancer Vaccine Prevents Melanoma Recurrence in Trial
A groundbreaking cancer vaccine has shown promising results in preventing melanoma from returning in patients. The personalized mRNA-based vaccine, developed by Merck and Moderna, was tested on 1,137 high-risk patients who had undergone surgical removal of their melanomas.
The trial combined the vaccine, Intismeran, with Merck's Keytruda treatment for approximately one year. According to the companies, the results met both the main goal of extending 'recurrence-free survival' and a secondary goal of preventing cancer from spreading to different parts of the body.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement that the vaccine has the potential to revolutionize cancer care by training an individual's immune system to fight their specific type of cancer. The study will continue, with more details expected to be presented at a medical conference later this year.