New mRNA vaccine cuts melanoma risks by nearly half
Late-stage trial data shows a personalized vaccine combined with existing therapy significantly lowers the chance of death or cancer return.
By Anna Nowak ·
A new personalized vaccine has shown strong results against melanoma.
Merck and Moderna announced on Thursday that their mRNA-based treatment reduced the risk of death or cancer recurrence by 42 percent. This figure comes from a late-stage clinical trial comparing the new therapy to standard care. The finding represents a major step forward in treating the deadliest form of skin cancer.
The companies are already moving forward with regulatory authorities to seek approval for the vaccine. Beyond the immediate benefit for melanoma patients, the success of this trial strengthens the case for using mRNA technology in other areas. It suggests that individualized cancer treatments could become a standard approach in the future.
Stéphane Bancel, the chief executive of Moderna, highlighted the potential of the technology in a statement. He noted that the company has believed in this approach from the start. Bancel said the results mark a defining moment for their vision. He added that the data shows what is possible when medicines are reimagined to match specific tumors.
The full details of the study were set to be presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology conference in Madrid, Spain. The conference began this week. However, the companies released the top-line results early. This happened after an oncology news site reported the findings before the scheduled presentation on Saturday. The complete data has also been accepted for publication in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In August, both partners reported that the vaccine had succeeded in the trial. At that time, they held back specific numbers until the data could be formally presented at the scientific conference. The early release of results reflects the high interest in the outcome. It also underscores the significance of the findings for the medical community and patients.
The Phase 3 trial included 1,137 patients. All participants had stage IIB through IV melanoma. The cancer had been surgically removed before they entered the study. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups in a two-to-one ratio.
One group received a combination treatment. This included the personalized mRNA vaccine along with a standard therapy. The other group received only the standard treatment. The standard care used in the trial was Keytruda, an established monoclonal antibody cancer treatment made by Merck. The comparison showed the clear advantage of adding the new vaccine to the existing regimen.
Source: Ars Technica
