Moderna-Merck mRNA vaccine cuts melanoma relapse risk by 42% (opens the source in a new tab)
- A personalised mRNA vaccine from Moderna and Merck, intismeran, added to Keytruda after surgery cut the risk of high-risk melanoma returning by 42% at two years, in a trial of more than 1,100 patients.
- Each patient's vaccine is built from mutations unique to their tumour and given as nine doses three weeks apart, training the immune system to spot returning cancer cells.
- Similar personalised vaccines are being tested against lung, kidney and pancreatic cancers; experts not involved said the result bolsters the field.
- 42%
- lower risk of melanoma returning at 2 years
- 1,100+
- high-risk patients in the trial
Why it matters This is the biggest trial win yet for tailor-made cancer vaccines, and the same mRNA approach could be adapted to other tumours if the results hold.
Other side Cutting relapses is not yet proof that patients live longer, and a vaccine made for every patient may be costly and slow to produce at scale.
Source:AP (free to read) ↗