Moderna and Merck's personalized melanoma vaccine cut death or recurrence risk by 42%
Trial results in melanoma are the first large-scale test of an individualized mRNA cancer vaccine, and the partners are now seeking regulatory approval.
Merck and Moderna announced Thursday that their personalized mRNA vaccine for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, cut the risk of death or recurrence by 42 percent compared with standard treatment in a late-stage trial. The partners describe the result as a significant step forward for melanoma care and say they are now working with regulators to win approval. Moderna's chief executive, Stéphane Bancel, framed the trial as validation of the idea that mRNA technology can tailor cancer treatments to each patient's tumor. For developers and company leaders, the result adds weight to the case that mRNA platforms and individualized cancer therapies could become a new approach to oncology.
Why it matters
The result is the most concrete evidence so far that mRNA technology can be used to tailor cancer treatment to each patient's tumor, a claim the companies have made for some time. For patients with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, a 42 percent reduction in the risk of death or recurrence compared with standard treatment would be a meaningful change if regulators approve the vaccine. The result is from a single late-stage trial, and approval has not yet been granted.
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