Merck and Moderna announce positive results for mRNA vaccine against skin cancer

American laboratories Merck and Moderna have announced positive results in the last phase of clinical trials for an experimental treatment based on messenger RNA (mRNA) for skin cancer. The companies claim that the personalized therapy, administered together with the immunotherapy Keytruda, significantly improved relapse-free survival in patients with advanced melanoma, AFP reports.

• Positive results in the third phase study

The treatment, called autogenous intismeran, uses messenger RNA technology, known in particular for its use in vaccines against COVID-19. Merck and Moderna said in a joint statement that this is the first time that positive phase three results have been announced for an anticancer therapy based on mRNA. The personalized therapy, given together with Keytruda, Merck's immunotherapy, led to a "statistically significant” improvement in relapse-free survival in patients with advanced melanoma who had previously undergone surgery. The results were compared with those obtained in patients treated with Keytruda alone. The studies included 1,137 people.

• Treatment is tailored to each patient's tumor

The treatment is designed individually, starting from the mutations specific to each patient's tumor. mRNA technology transmits the body's cells the information needed to produce proteins capable of triggering an immune system response. The goal is to train and activate the immune system so that it recognizes and attacks cancer cells. The results were welcomed by several specialists, but they pointed out that full data from the studies are needed to evaluate the treatment. Oncologist Marco Gerlinger, a professor at Barts Cancer Institute in London, hailed the results as "proof of concept that personalized cancer vaccines work” and considered them a "major advance” in the development of new cancer immunotherapies. Lennard Lee, an oncologist and assistant professor at the University of Oxford, called the results "very encouraging” but said he was waiting for the full clinical trial data to be published.

• Strong reaction on Wall Street

The announcement by the two companies had an immediate effect on the stock market. Moderna shares rose more than 2.5 times, adding more than $40 billion to the company's market capitalization. Merck shares also rose more than 12%. For Moderna, the results represent an important development in a field in which the company built its international reputation by developing messenger RNA vaccines against COVID-19, alongside Pfizer-BioNTech. "For many years, the idea of creating an mRNA-based treatment specifically designed for an individual's cancer was unimaginable. Today, we are helping to make this vision a reality,” said Stephane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, quoted in the joint statement.

• Full data presentation and approval application to follow

Merck and Moderna plan to present the full results at an upcoming medical congress and begin the process of obtaining approval for the treatment from the competent authorities. Melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of skin cancer. According to the two companies, more than 330,000 new cases were diagnosed worldwide in 2022, and their number is increasing. The results announced by Merck and Moderna thus mark an important milestone for the use of mRNA technology in oncology, but evaluation of the full data of the study will be essential before determining the clinical impact and prospects for authorization of the treatment.