Moderna, Merck Take Major Step Toward Personalised Cancer Treatment
What Happened
Moderna and Merck announced that their experimental personalised mRNA cancer vaccine (intismeran), used alongside Merck's immunotherapy drug Keytruda, delivered positive results in a large Phase 3 trial involving 1,137 patients with high-risk melanoma. The treatment significantly extended the time patients lived without their cancer returning and also reduced the risk of the disease spreading to other parts of the body compared with Keytruda alone.
Key Takeaways
Investors reacted enthusiastically to the breakthrough, sending Moderna shares soaring more than 90% (and at points over 120%), while Merck's stock also gained sharply.