Moderna, Merck’s cancer vaccine data a major advancement
Leaked confidential data. A major stock sell-off.
Beneath the chaos surrounding Moderna and Merck‘s latest data on their personalized cancer vaccine, oncologists see something else: an important milestone in melanoma treatment.
The companies on Thursday released detailed results from a phase 3 trial on their mRNA-based shot after partial data leaked on social media platforms earlier that day.
The vaccine, known as intismeran autogene, reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 42% when given alongside Merck’s immunotherapy Keytruda, compared with Keytruda alone. The combination also reduced the risk of cancer spreading to distant parts of the body or death by 38%, compared with just the immunotherapy, according to the trial on roughly 1,100 patients whose tumors were removed by surgery.
The stock market’s reaction contrasted with the assessment of six melanoma specialists, who told CNBC the results represent a clinically meaningful advance that could eventually become a standard of care for patients who undergo surgery first and have not received immunotherapy before their operation.
“This has the potential to be a major breakthrough in melanoma treatment and also cancer immunotherapy in general that will open the door to greater outcomes for patients,” said Dr. Sekwon Jang, a melanoma specialist at Inova Schar Cancer and principal investigator at one of the trial’s U.S. sites.
Dr. Janice Mehnert, NYU Langone skin cancer specialist and trial investigator, added that “this is the first time we’re seeing that when you add something to immunotherapy, you actually boost the efficacy of the immunotherapy.”
The vaccine is not far from potentially entering the market for the first time and reaching melanoma patients. In an interview ahead of the results, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said the company is finishing a filing with regulators as it aims to get the drug fully approved next year.
“It’s a very, very happy moment for the field, for patients,” he said.
Major advance in melanoma
An immunotherapy like Keytruda wakes up the immune system to detect and attack cancer cells. Unlike preventative vaccines, which protect against infections that can cause cancer, Moderna and Merck’s treatment acts like a blueprint to train the immune system to recognize and hunt residual cancer cells based on the specific mutations in an individual patient’s tumor.
The significance of the phase 3 data extends beyond delaying a recurrence, doctors said. Melanoma can become much more difficult to treat when it returns after surgery and spreads to distant parts of the body, such as the lungs, brain or liver. Patients with advanced disease may require additional treatments, including immunotherapy, radiation or further surgery, and those methods are not guaranteed to work.
Preventing the cancer from returning could spare patients from ever facing the risks and complexities of metastatic disease altogether.
“If we can essentially cure more patients with earlier-stage…
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