Moderna-Merck Melanoma Vaccine Trial Shows 49% Recurrence Reduction
Pharmaceutical giants Merck and Moderna have announced promising results from a study on a personalized mRNA vaccine for melanoma treatment. The trial, which combined Moderna's tailor-made vaccine with Merck's immunotherapy drug Keytruda, yielded the first successful late-stage trial outcomes for an mRNA-based cancer vaccine.
The ongoing trial of the treatment, known as Intismeran, demonstrated significant efficacy by achieving its primary aim of reducing cancer recurrence and its secondary goal of halting the spread of cancer to other parts of the body. This innovative approach leverages mRNA technology to create a vaccine personalized to mutations in each patient's tumors.
Conducted with 1,137 patients suffering from high-risk, surgically removed stage IIB-IV melanoma, the trial reported no new adverse safety signals. Preliminary data showed that, compared to Keytruda alone, the combined treatment reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 49% over five years.