Merck and Moderna’s personalised vaccine cuts melanoma recurrence or death risk by 42%
Merck and Moderna said their personalised mRNA vaccine, intismeran, reduced the two-year risk of melanoma returning or death by 42% when added to pembrolizumab (Keytruda), compared with pembrolizumab alone. The phase III trial included 1,137 people whose melanoma had been surgically removed; 82% receiving the combination were alive and recurrence-free after two years, against 70% on pembrolizumab alone.
Bottom line — The companies are engaging with regulators, but long-term survival data are not yet available.
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The Australian-led trial ran across 157 sites worldwide, the Guardian reports.
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According to Ars Technica, the combination also cut the two-year risk of distant metastasis or death by 38%.
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The vaccine is tailored to mutations in each patient’s tumour; the Guardian says it targets up to 34 mutations.
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The Guardian reports that the results have been accepted for publication in the New England Journal of Medicine and still require peer review.
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An earlier phase II trial showed a 49% reduction in recurrence or death risk, Ars Technica reports; the phase III result was 42%.
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Long-term survival remains uncertain: the companies said it was too early to tell, according to the Guardian.
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The Guardian reports that an outside researcher cautioned that a significant portion of patients do not respond to the vaccine initially.