Merck and Moderna reported that the customized mRNA vaccine intismeran reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 42 percent when used with Merck’s checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda, compared to Keytruda alone. The pivotal trial results were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting in Madrid.
The data marks a significant shift in the field after a century of unsuccessful attempts to develop effective cancer vaccines. Vinod Balachandran of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center described the prior history as a “long and sordid” period that had essentially amounted to 100 years of failure.
James Larkin, scientific co-chair for the meeting and affiliated with London’s Royal Marsden Hospital, noted that the approach may apply to other tumor types. The presentation has shifted the conversation toward how melanoma specialists should adopt the medicine and how broadly these novel vaccines can be deployed.