mRNA cancer vaccine succeeded in Phase 3 melanoma trial, Moderna and Merck say
The vaccine reportedly thwarted the cancer's return and spread.
The vaccine reportedly thwarted the cancer's return and spread.
The short version
- The vaccine reportedly thwarted the cancer’s return and spread.
- The announcement was scant on details, but if the success holds, it stands to realize the high aspirations for both mRNA vaccines and individualized cancer-targeting medicines in cancer therapy, providing a first success for both treatment types.
- Based on a planned interim analysis, Moderna and Merck report that the combination therapy with the mRNA vaccine extended “recurrence-free survival” (RFS), which is the amount of time a patient has without the cancer returning.
What happened
The combination therapy also extended “distant metastasis-free survival” (DMFS), which is the amount of time a patient has without the cancer returning and occurring in a different part of the body than where it began. The companies say the extensions of RFS and DMFS reported were statistically significant and clinically meaningful, but they did not elaborate.
Why it matters
They said the data will be presented at an upcoming international medical conference.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.