Personalized mRNA vaccine shows five-year benefit in melanoma trial
A clinical trial testing a personalized messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine combined with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda has reported five-year results showing a significant reduction in cancer recurrence and death for patients with high-risk melanoma. The trial included 157 patients in Australia and the U.S. who had their tumors surgically removed. After five years, 68.8% of patients receiving the combination therapy remained cancer-free, compared with 49.1% who received Keytruda alone. Overall survival at five years was 92% for the combination group versus 71% for Keytruda alone. The results were presented Monday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The vaccine, called intismeran, is developed by Moderna in collaboration with Merck, which makes Keytruda (pembrolizumab). A Phase 3 trial with nearly 1,000 patients is underway, with plans to seek FDA approval after results are analyzed.
What’s reported
Connie Franciosi, 80, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2020, considered a late diagnosis.
Approximately 112,000 melanomas are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, with about 8,500 deaths.
The trial tested a personalized mRNA vaccine plus Keytruda versus Keytruda alone in 157 patients.
After five years, 68.8% of combination therapy patients remained cancer-free versus 49.1% on Keytruda alone (49% reduction in risk).
92% of combination patients were alive at five years versus 71% on Keytruda alone.
Side effects were mild, including chills and minor pain at the injection site.
The vaccine is tailored to each patient’s tumor by sequencing up to 34 unique neoantigens.
Researchers are also studying mRNA vaccines to prevent recurrence of lung cancer and other cancers.
Misconceptions
The article notes that reservations and politicization of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine may cause confusion, but explains that this melanoma vaccine is designed to boost tumor response and is fundamentally different from the uniform COVID-19 vaccine.
Key figures
Connie Franciosi (trial participant)
Dr. Janice Mehnert (melanoma specialist, NYU Langone Health, senior author of the paper)
Dr. Sarah Arron (dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon, not involved in the research)
Dr. David Berman (chief development officer, Moderna)
Sources: NPR
