An experimental mRNA vaccine developed by Moderna, when combined with Merck's immunotherapy drug Keytruda, has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence, according to researchers at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center. The study, presented on Monday, found that patients receiving the vaccine, known as intismeran, alongside Keytruda had a 49 percent lower risk of recurrence or death over five years compared to those on Keytruda alone.
Among 107 American and Australian patients who took the vaccine, nearly 69 percent remained cancer-free after five years, versus 49 percent of those who only received Keytruda. The combination therapy also reduced the risk of cancer spreading to other parts of the body by 59 percent and improved overall survival by more than 20 percent.
The personalised mRNA vaccine works by analysing a patient's tumour after surgery and creating a tailored treatment that triggers the immune system to produce T-cells targeting specific neoantigens—abnormal proteins on cancer cells. Keytruda helps make these cells more visible to the immune system, but not all patients respond to it alone, as melanoma cells can develop resistance.
Dr. Janice Mehnert, associate director of clinical research at the cancer centre, said the findings encourage researchers globally that mRNA vaccines could be effective in combination with immunotherapy for other hard-to-treat cancers with high mutation rates. A Phase 3 trial involving 1,000 patients is underway for melanoma, and the vaccine is also being tested for lung and other cancers.
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 112,000 new melanoma cases and 8,500 deaths are expected this year in the United States. The AIM at Melanoma Foundation notes that most recurrences occur within the first 2-3 years, but melanoma can return even after a decade.
