An experimental skin cancer vaccine developed by pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Merck has shown encouraging results after five years of clinical trials.

The data indicate a strong and durable anti-tumor effect, as well as improved survival rates in patients with advanced melanoma.

Currently in Phase 2 trials, the therapy combines Moderna’s personalized mRNA technology, intismeran autogene, with Merck’s immunotherapy drug Keytruda.

Together, these approaches reduced the risk of cancer recurrence or death by 49% in high-risk melanoma patients who underwent surgery, compared with Keytruda alone, according to Euronews.

Kyle Holen, Senior Vice President at Moderna, said: “We continue to invest in our oncology platform thanks to these promising results, which highlight the potential of mRNA in cancer treatment.”

The mRNA vaccine works by training immune cells to recognize unique cancer markers, while Keytruda blocks PD-1 proteins that tumors use to evade the immune system. This enables T-cells, which play a key role in the immune response, to attack tumors more effectively.

Moderna and Merck are now awaiting Phase 3 results, the final stage of testing, to confirm the therapy’s benefits in a larger patient population. The treatment targets high-risk melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer that can spread even after surgical removal.

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, characterized by uncontrolled growth of melanin-producing cells. Incidence has increased in recent decades: in 2022, more than 330,000 new cases were diagnosed worldwide.

In the European Union, around 15,700 people are diagnosed annually with high-risk melanoma, accounting for 15% of all cases; it is usually detected at stages 3 or 4.

Similar mRNA vaccines for high-risk melanoma are being developed by BioNTech and Roche, all currently in early clinical stages.

In addition, Moderna and Merck are testing the same technology in studies of non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, and clear cell renal carcinoma — the most common form of kidney cancer.

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