Moderna Inc. and Merck & Co. announced that their personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, when combined with Merck's Keytruda, successfully cut the recurrence rate of melanoma in a large, late-stage trial. The study also met a key secondary goal by demonstrating the shot's ability to prevent tumors from spreading to new areas of the body. These results mark a significant milestone for mRNA-based therapies in cancer treatment.
The trial's success led to a substantial surge in both companies' stock values. Moderna's stock jumped by 113% from the beginning of the year through Tuesday's close, and further soared by 177% on Wednesday, reflecting investor optimism for the cancer shot. Merck's shares also climbed over 12% following the announcement. The personalized vaccine, previously known as V940 or MRNA-4157, is designed to target specific mutations in each patient's tumor, training the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
The personalized cancer vaccine is being developed in collaboration, and this Phase 3 trial involved over 1,100 patients with higher-risk or advanced melanoma whose detectable cancer had been surgically removed. The combination regimen showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements over Keytruda alone. This success validates a new personalized treatment approach and offers potential as a new treatment option for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Analysts predict the vaccine could achieve billions of dollars in sales in the melanoma setting alone, with further trials underway for other cancer types like non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, and renal cell carcinoma.
