Moderna & Merck's Melanoma Vaccine Shows Promise in Preventing Cancer Return
Pharmaceutical giants Merck and Moderna have announced promising results from an experimental vaccine treatment for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The companies' new mRNA-based vaccine was tested in a late-stage trial involving people who'd already had surgery to remove a melanoma.
The study involved a personalized cancer vaccine called Intismeran, produced by Merck and Moderna, used in combination with Merck's cancer immunotherapy Keytruda. According to the companies' press release, interim results from the trial show that the vaccine-drug combo appeared to extend the time before cancer returned in high-risk patients.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel described the findings as a 'pivotal moment for the field of cancer research.' The study would continue to examine overall survival rates following the treatment.