Personalized mRNA Vaccine Shows Promise Against Deadly Skin Cancer
Moderna and Merck's personalized mRNA vaccine has shown promising results in a Phase 3 trial targeting melanoma. The therapy, called intismeran autogene, is built from a sample of a patient's own tumor and teaches the immune system to recognize specific mutations in their cancer.
The trial included 1,137 patients with high-risk melanoma who had already had their tumors surgically removed. Those who received the vaccine alongside Merck's immunotherapy Keytruda went longer without their cancer coming back or spreading than those who got Keytruda alone.
Dr. Danish Nagda, an otolaryngologist and founder of Rezilient Health, said the results could potentially double five-year recurrence-free survival rates for patients with advanced melanoma.
The companies plan to share full data at an upcoming medical conference and bring the results to regulators.