Moderna and Merck begin late-stage study on personalized mRNA-based skin cancer vaccine

USA —Moderna and Merck have commenced patient enrollment in a late-stage study to test their personalized mRNA-based skin cancer vaccine in combination with the immunotherapy Keytruda.

The vaccine aims to harness the body’s immune response to combat melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and the results from a mid-stage study have shown promising outcomes.

The mid-stage study involving 157 patients revealed that the vaccine combination reduced the risk of cancer recurrence or death by an impressive 44% when compared to treatment with Keytruda alone.

Now, the late-stage trial is set to include over 1,000 patients from more than 25 countries, with Australia leading the charge in enrolling the first patients.

The unique aspect of this vaccine lies in its personalized approach. Tailored to each patient, the mRNA-based vaccine generates T-cells, a crucial component of the body’s immune response, based on the specific mutational signature of the tumor.

By doing so, it enhances the immune system’s ability to identify and eliminate cancer cells.

Researchers have made remarkable progress in understanding how cancer evades detection by the immune system.

Cancer vaccines, including those based on mRNA technology, work by boosting the immune system’s ability to recognize and target cancer cells effectively.

The mRNA platform, initially developed for cancer research, gained significant recognition with its application in COVID-19 vaccines.

Merck’s Keytruda, known as a checkpoint inhibitor, plays a vital role in combination therapy. It targets a protein called programmed death 1 (PD-1), which enables cancer cells to elude immune detection, thus allowing the body’s immune system to mount a more robust response against the cancerous cells.

The pursuit of cancer vaccines has been a long-standing goal for scientists, with limited successes to date.

However, the potential of mRNA vaccines, which can be rapidly produced in as little as eight weeks, combined with immune-boosting drugs, has opened up new horizons for cancer therapies.

The primary objective of the late-stage trial is to assess the duration of time patients live without cancer recurrence when treated with combination therapy compared to Keytruda alone. The study’s duration will be determined by the achievement of this milestone.

While this mRNA-based skin cancer vaccine holds tremendous promise, other companies like BioNTech SE and Gritstone Bio are also actively developing cancer vaccines based on mRNA technology, signaling fierce competition in the field.

Notably, there are vaccines that can prevent certain cancers caused by viruses in healthy individuals. These vaccines, such as the HPV vaccine, safeguard against viruses linked to cancer development.

However, the personalized mRNA-based skin cancer vaccine from Moderna and Merck takes a revolutionary approach to target existing cancers and pave the way for a new era in cancer treatment.

As the late-stage trial progresses and further research in the field unfolds, the hope is that this groundbreaking vaccine will offer a significant advancement in the fight against melanoma and potentially inspire innovative solutions for other forms of cancer in the future.

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