U.S. pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Merck have reported successful results from trials of a vaccine against melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer.
In a study involving more than 1,100 patients, the combination of the vaccine and Keytruda reduced the relative risk of disease recurrence or death by 42%, while the risk of distant metastasis or death fell by 38%. The results are expected to be presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Madrid, Bild reports.
The vaccine is personalized for each patient based on the genetic mutations found in their tumor. It is designed to train the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
Two years after treatment, more than 82% of patients who received the vaccine in combination with Keytruda were alive without disease recurrence. In the control group, which received Keytruda with a placebo, the figure was 70%.
The new therapy is intended for patients who have already undergone surgical removal of melanoma, with the aim of preventing the disease from returning. It is not a preventive cancer vaccine.
The treatment remains experimental and has not been approved for widespread use. It is therefore unclear when it might become available in medical facilities in Germany and other countries.
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