A personalized vaccine helps to keep skin cancer in remission, according to the results of a study released in December.
Moderna and Merck & Co. presented the study's results at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research on Sunday.
- Researchers administered Moderna's mRNA-4157/V940 treatment to patients whose melanomas had been removed.
- Moderna personalized the treatments based on genetic analyses of the removed tissue.
- 79% of the trial participants who took Moderna's vaccine alongside Merck’s drug Keytruda remained in remission after 18 months.
- 62% of the people who only took Keytruda remained in remission over the same period.
- Doctors and analysts have debated the significance of the findings, and the methods used to quantify the results, since they were announced in December.
- The mid-stage trial will need to be followed up by "a phase 3 study to say it’s truly effective,” said Sapna Patel, a melanoma medical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
- The vaccine is part of efforts by Moderna to open new revenue streams as demand for its COVID-19 vaccine wanes.
- Both vaccines are based on mRNA technology.
