mRNA cancer vaccine shows protection at 5-year follow-up, Moderna and Merck say
Summary
Ars Technica reports that customized mRNA vaccines for high-risk melanoma reduced recurrence or death by about 49% at five-year follow-up when combined with Keytruda, in a Phase 2 trial of 157 patients. The results align with earlier two- and three-year data, and full data will be presented at a conference while a Phase 3 trial is underway. Side effects were similar between groups, and the vaccines target up to 34 neoantigens per patient, illustrating the potential of personalized cancer vaccines though full data are still pending.