Moderna and Merck: mRNA skin cancer vaccine with Keytruda cuts melanoma recurrence in late-stage trial

Published Aug 20, 03:02 PM UTC

Moderna and Merck announced on Wednesday that their experimental mRNA cancer vaccine, combined with Merck's immunotherapy drug Keytruda, successfully reduced the recurrence of melanoma in a large late-stage trial involving 1,137 high-risk patients. The personalized vaccine, called intismeran, is made by analyzing mutations in patients' own tumors. An earlier mid-stage trial showed the combination reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49% compared to Keytruda alone. The results mark the first successful late-stage trial for a personalized mRNA cancer therapy, validating decades of research and paving the way for a potentially new life-extending treatment. The companies plan to present detailed results at an international medical meeting and to regulators. Moderna's stock closed up 177% on the news.