First-of-its-kind cancer vaccine helps reduce chances of melanoma patients' tumors returning: study

A first-of-its-kind personalized cancer vaccine is showing early success in high-risk melanoma, cutting the chance of tumors returning. Results released Thursday by Moderna and Merck say the vaccine, intismeran, is custom-made to each patient’s tumor using the same Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology behind COVID-19 vaccines. In the study, 1,100-plus patients had their melanoma surgically removed and all received Keytruda (pembrolizumab) as standard follow-up. Participants were then randomly assigned to receive nine vaccine doses given three weeks apart or a placebo. Two years later, 82% in the vaccine group had no recurrence versus 70% with Keytruda alone, a 42% reduction in risk. Company details had been announced in August; final data were presented ahead of a weekend meeting of the European Society of Medical Oncology in Madrid.