Merck and Moderna’s mRNA cancer vaccine delays melanoma recurrence in phase 3 trial

In a large phase 3 trial, Merck and Moderna’s personalized mRNA vaccine, intismeran autogene, paired with the checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda, significantly delayed melanoma recurrence and slowed the development of metastatic disease in patients like teacher Gary Keblish, who had a tumor removed and then joined the study.

Expanding to other cancers, the companies plan to test the therapy in lung, kidney and bladder cancer where Keytruda has worked best, and to explore settings where other immunotherapies have failed. Small studies are underway in adjuvant pancreatic and gastric cancers, and researchers are refining the algorithm that selects up to 34 patient‑specific mutant proteins, using data from thousands of trial participants to improve the vaccine’s precision.