Moderna and Merck Announce Promising Results for New mRNA Cancer Vaccine

Preliminary results on Moderna and Merck’s large personalized mRNA cancer vaccine trial have been announced. They show that the vaccine cuts the risk of melanoma recurrence when used in combination with an existing immunotherapy treatment, Keytruda. The announced results show the first indications of positive results in a late-stage trial for a mRNA cancer vaccine.

Similar approaches are also being tested in lung, breast and pancreatic cancers.

Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer, and has a low survival rate once it has spread beyond the skin. According to an interview with Moderna’s president, Stephen Hoge, thousands of patients could benefit once regulators approve the vaccine.

Preliminary findings from the Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial showed that the intismeran autogene vaccine, in combination with Keytruda, could improve how long melanoma patients can live after cancer treatment, without facing recurrence or distant metastasis. These results are one of the first positive results seen in a Phase 3 trial for an individualized mRNA-based cancer vaccine. The treatment was tested in stage 2B to stage 4 melanoma patients who underwent surgical tumor removal.

The mRNA cancer vaccine works by training a patient's immune system to fight tumors by targeting specific cancer mutations. By reprogramming genetic instructions in the body, the mRNA, researchers can design custom vaccines that are personalized to target patients’ tumors. This may be the key to the future of cancer treatments, as mRNA cancer vaccines can be developed fast, and at a low cost.

The US has recently faced reductions in government funding of mRNA vaccine projects, with over $500 million in cuts from similar projects by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the US Secretary of Health and Human Services.

However, the National Cancer Institute is still funding a $200 million public-private partnership toward trials of mRNA cancer vaccines.