mRNA melanoma vaccine shows 49% reduction in recurrence risk in trial
An 80-year-old woman who was diagnosed with melanoma in 2020 is among patients in a clinical trial testing a personalized messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine combined with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda. The trial included 157 patients in Australia and the U.S. who had surgery to remove their tumors. Five-year follow-up results show that 68.8% of patients receiving the combination 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 the control group. The vaccine, called intismeran, is developed by Moderna in collaboration with Merck, the maker of Keytruda. Side effects were reported as mild, including chills and minor pain at the injection site. A Phase 3 trial involving nearly 1,000 patients is underway, and researchers aim to seek FDA approval once results are analyzed.
What’s reported
Connie Franciosi, 80, was diagnosed with melanoma in 2020 and joined the trial after surgery.
The trial included 157 patients in Australia and the U.S. who had their tumors removed.
The combination therapy (mRNA vaccine + Keytruda) resulted in 68.8% cancer-free rate at five years vs. 49.1% for Keytruda alone — a 49% reduction in risk.
Survival at five years: 92% in the combination group vs. 71% in the Keytruda-only group.
The vaccine is personalized to each patient’s tumor by sequencing up to 34 unique neoantigens.
The vaccine is called intismeran; Keytruda’s generic name is pembrolizumab.
A Phase 3 trial with nearly 1,000 patients is underway; FDA approval is the goal after analysis.
Side effects were mild: chills and minor injection-site pain.
Key figures
Connie Franciosi – trial participant
Dr. Janice Mehnert – melanoma specialist and researcher at NYU Langone Health, senior author of the paper
Dr. Sarah Arron – dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon not involved in the research
Dr. David Berman – Moderna’s chief development officer
Sources: NPR
