Personalized mRNA melanoma regimen reportedly cuts recurrence-or-death risk by 42%
HealthUnverifiedUpdated:
In a reported Phase 3 trial of 1,137 people with surgically resected stage IIB–IV melanoma, adding the personalized mRNA vaccine intismeran to Keytruda was associated with better two-year recurrence-free outcomes than Keytruda plus placebo.
A vaccine tailored to each patient’s mutations
Merck and Moderna announced top-line Phase 3 results for intismeran (mRNA-4157), a personalized mRNA vaccine designed using genetic coding for up to 34 mutations in a patient’s cancer cells. Participants were randomized 2-to-1 to receive intismeran with Keytruda or Keytruda with placebo. The companies said the combination reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 42% after two years.
The trial compared intismeran plus Keytruda with Keytruda plus placebo in patients whose stage IIB–IV melanoma had been surgically removed. It does not establish a comparison with other cancers, unresected melanoma, or routine clinical use.
Merck and Moderna reported a 42% lower composite risk of melanoma recurrence or death at two years for the intismeran-Keytruda group. Recurrence-free survival at two years was reported as 82%, versus 70% for the Keytruda-placebo group; the reported reduction in distant-metastasis-or-death risk was 38%.
A comparison in surgically removed melanoma
The reported result concerns a late-stage randomized trial in surgically removed melanoma and compares a personalized vaccine combination with Keytruda plus placebo. It is not an approval and does not demonstrate benefit for cancer generally.
Sources
- Ars TechnicaModerna and Merck say their mRNA cancer vaccine cut death, recurrence by 42%Read source →