Moderna cancer vaccine steps closer to clinic use after late-stage trial milestone

Moderna and Merck’s personalised mRNA cancer vaccine, used with Keytruda, has shown positive late-stage trial results in high-risk melanoma, marking a major milestone in the development of personalised cancer treatment.

Moderna and Merck have reported encouraging results from a late-stage clinical trial of a personalised mRNA cancer vaccine designed to reduce the risk of melanoma returning or spreading after surgery. The vaccine, known as antisera, was tested in combination with Merck’s widely used immunotherapy drug Keytruda



(pembrolizumab).

The companies said the treatment met its primary goal of reducing the risk of cancer recurrence and also achieved a secondary goal of lowering the risk of melanoma spreading to other parts of the body. Detailed results are expected to be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.

The findings represent a significant development in the emerging field of mRNA cancer vaccines, which are designed to train a patient's immune system to identify and attack cancer cells based on mutations found in an individual’s tumour.