Following a study that revealed it might be used to treat an aggressive form of skin cancer, Moderna and Merck are getting ready to start the first phase 3 trial of a messenger RNA cancer vaccine.
On Tuesday, Moderna and Merck released extremely encouraging findings using an investigational tailored mRNA cancer vaccine combined with KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 medication.
The Experimental CAncer Vaccine Reduces Risk Of Melanoma
Combining these two factors resulted in a 44% reduction in the probability of death or recurrence for individuals with stage III/IV melanoma after full resection.
157 patients who had already undergone melanoma surgery were enrolled in the phase 2 randomized trial, and were observed for a year, Financial Times writes.
Along with Keytruda, some subjects also received nine doses of the cancer vaccination known as mRNA-4157/V940, while others received Keytruda alone.
Moderna's CEO Stephane Bancel claimed that the outcomes gave Moderna and Merck the confidence to start the larger phase 3 trial that regulators frequently require before approving a new medication.
It is important to note that most medications that are successful in phase 2 research go on to fail in the later stages of testing.
However, Bancel says that the study's results show highly encouraging information that indicates how mRNA can be used to transform the impact on outcomes in melanoma trials.
With this, the companies are adamant in beginning additional studies in melanoma and other forms of cancer to bring individualized cancer treatments to patients.
According to Interesting Engineering, Moderna and Merck are also looking forward to publishing the full set of data and sharing the results of the study in an oncology medical conference.
Dr. Dean Yi, President of Merck Research Laboratories, firmly believes that the positive findings in the Moderna-Merck vaccine trials represent important milestones in the collaboration.
Moderna and Merck have been working together for the past six years to combine their expertise in developing a way to improve outcomes for cancer patients.
Analysts Are Still Apprehensive About The Initial Trial Results
Scientists have long been intrigued by the possibility of using mRNA technology to deliver a vaccine that instructs the body's immune system to target cancer tumors.
According to Jeffrey Weber, the study's principal investigator and deputy director, the findings provide the first randomized evidence that a personalized neoantigen vaccine approach could be beneficial in melanoma cases.
Personalized cancer vaccines work by priming the immune system so that a patient's immune system can mount a targeted antitumor response based on their tumor mutation signature.
The vaccine developed by Moderna and Merck is intended to stimulate an immune response by generating specific T cell responses based on the unique mutational signature of a patient's tumor.
Some analysts, however, advised caution, noting that Moderna had only released a small amount of trial data and that the results had yet to be reviewed by independent scientists.
The clinical trial is part of Merck and Moderna's six-year collaboration to develop personalized cancer vaccines, Financial Times details.
In October, Merck agreed to pay Moderna $250 million for an option to develop and commercialize mRNA-4157/V940 collaboratively.
Related Article: Scientists Have Developed a New Treatment for Drug-Resistant Tumors
