Moderna and Merck have announced that their personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, Intismeran, reduced the risk of recurrence and spread of melanoma in a late-stage trial, marking a major success in the emerging field of cancer treatment and sending Moderna's shares soaring as much as 160 percent.

Interim results of the study, released on Wednesday, found that the treatment met both goals of reducing cancer recurrence and preventing the spread of tumors. Detailed results have not yet been released but are expected to be shared at an upcoming medical meeting, according to the drugmaker.

Moderna President Stephen Hoge said thousands of patients who have had high-risk melanoma tumors removed in surgery could benefit by next year if the vaccine is approved by regulators. According to the National Cancer Institute, over 1.5 million people in the US were living with melanoma in 2023.

Developed alongside pharmaceutical giant Merck, Moderna tested the vaccine in combination with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda. The experimental vaccine trains the patient's immune system to fight tumors by targeting mutations in cancer cells. Similar approaches are being tested against other cancers, including lung, breast, and pancreatic cancers.

Previous studies have suggested that mRNA vaccines could help immune systems recognize and attack cancer cells in mice and in analyses of medical records of cancer patients. These findings come at a time when the administration of US President Donald Trump cut funding for mRNA research.

This development is the first positive late-stage trial result for an mRNA cancer vaccine. Merck said the companies are already in talks with regulators about the treatment.

Karen Knudsen, CEO of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, said the Moderna results could signal a new era for treating solid-tumor cancers. "The positive hit here leads us into truly this next phase in immunotherapy," Knudsen said. "This is an auspicious start – this is where things begin."

Source: www.aljazeera.com