Moderna and Merck say their mRNA cancer vaccine cut death, recurrence by 42%

Markers released top-line results today after previously reporting the trial succeeded.

The short version

• Personalized mRNA vaccines against melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer—reduced the risk of death or recurrence by 42 percent compared to standard treatment in a late-stage trial, pharmaceutical partners Merck and Moderna announced Thursday .
• The results are a significant advance in melanoma treatment; Merck and Moderna are already engaging with regulatory authorities to get the vaccine approved.
• More broadly, the vaccine’s success bolsters hope that mRNA vaccines and individualized cancer-targeting medicines offer a new paradigm for cancer therapies.

What happened

“From the beginning, we believed mRNA technology could make it possible to develop cancer treatments uniquely matched to each patient’s tumor,” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement. The trial results “mark a defining moment for that vision and show what’s possible when we rethink how medicines are made.” They also “reinforce our conviction that mRNA has the potential to fundamentally change how we treat cancer,” he said.

Why it matters

As Ars reported earlier , the Phase 3 trial included 1,137 patients who had stage IIB–IV melanoma that had been surgically removed prior to entering the trial.

Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.