Pharmaceutical companies Merck and Moderna announced interim results from a phase three clinical trial testing a personalized cancer vaccine called Intismeran combined with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda. The trial enrolled more than 1,000 patients diagnosed with high-risk stage two, three or four melanoma, a type of skin cancer that ranges from large localized tumours to cancers that had already spread to other parts of the body.
The companies reported that patients receiving both the vaccine and Keytruda experienced significantly extended periods without cancer recurrence compared to those taking Keytruda alone. The combination approach also demonstrated reduced risk of disease progression to other organs. The vaccine represents a personalized treatment approach, as it targets mutations specific to each individual patient’s tumor. Researchers created the vaccine by surgically removing tumor tissue, sequencing its DNA using mRNA technology—the same approach used in some COVID-19 vaccines—and then instructing the immune system to recognize and attack remaining cancer cells.
Cancer research experts have characterized the announcement as positive while emphasizing the preliminary nature of the findings. Specialists noted that full trial results have not yet been published or undergone peer review by independent researchers. Additional regulatory approval processes would be required before the treatment could become available through healthcare systems like the NHS. Merck and Moderna are also conducting trials testing similar personalized vaccine approaches for lung, bladder and kidney cancers.
Stock prices for both companies increased following the announcement. Cancer Research UK’s head of prevention and early detection stated the research demonstrates promise while calling for continued funding to expand personalized treatment options. A consultant medical oncologist at the University of Oxford described the findings as positive news for melanoma patients and noted the research provides evidence that personalized cancer vaccines can be effective.
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