Taneesa Williamson Moderna and Merck join forces for melanoma vaccine development.
Moderna and Merck have teamed up to develop an mRNA vaccine for melanoma. The latest findings from a phase 2b trial combining Moderna’s mRNA vaccine (known as mRNA-4157 or V940) with Merck’s cancer drug KEYTRUDA show promise in treating melanoma.
The study focused on patients with high-risk melanoma (stage III/IV) who had undergone complete resection. The results from the mid-term data, presented after a 3-year follow-up, offer encouraging news for the treatment of this challenging cancer.
Key findings from the trial show that combining mRNA-4157with pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) led to a significant improvement in recurrence-free survival compared to pembrolizumab alone. Specifically, the risk of recurrence or death was reduced by 49% with the combined treatment.
Additionally, the combination therapy demonstrated a notable improvement in distant metastasis-free survival, lowering the risk of developing distant metastasis or death by 62% compared to pembrolizumab alone.
Dr. Kyle Holen, Moderna’s senior vice president, commented, “The study marks a significant milestone as the first demonstration of efficacy for an investigational mRNA cancer treatment in a randomised clinical trial. It’s also the first combination therapy to show a significant benefit over pembrolizumab alone in adjuvant melanoma.”
Looking ahead, Moderna and Merck have announced the initiation of a phase 3 trial to further evaluate the vaccine in combination with pembrolizumab for adjuvant treatment in patients with high-risk resected melanoma (stages IIB-IV).
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