Moderna's mRNA Cancer Therapy Shows Promising Phase 3 Results
Noubar Afeyan, co-founder and Chairman of Moderna, has reflected on the positive Phase 3 results for Moderna and Merck's individualized mRNA-based cancer therapy in melanoma. Speaking with Richard Quest on CNN's Quest Means Business, Afeyan highlighted the significance of the results and discussed the future of mRNA-based cancer treatment.
Afeyan described learning about the positive results only shortly before they were announced publicly, saying it was a 'déjà vu moment' similar to another major milestone for Moderna six years earlier. He pointed out that Moderna's work in cancer immunotherapy began well before the pandemic and emphasized that the company is now returning to both cancer and infectious diseases.
The Phase 3 trial, INTerpath-001, evaluated intismeran autogene together with pembrolizumab as adjuvant treatment following complete surgical resection of stage IIB-IV melanoma. The combination produced statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in recurrence-free survival (RFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) compared with pembrolizumab alone.