Merck and Moderna report 42 percent lower recurrence-or-death risk in melanoma trial

Merck and Moderna reported that their experimental personalised mRNA vaccine, combined with Pembrolizumab, reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 42 percent compared with Pembrolizumab alone in a Phase 3 trial. The trial enrolled 1,137 people with high-risk melanoma after surgery to remove their tumours. After an average 24.6 months of monitoring, 82.2 percent receiving both treatments remained recurrence-free, compared with 70 percent receiving Pembrolizumab alone. The vaccine, Intismeran Autogene, uses mutations identified in each patient's tumour to teach the immune system what to attack. It aims to reduce recurrence after treatment, rather than prevent melanoma, and remains under investigation pending health-authority approval.