Vaccine against skin cancer has positive results and will enter the final phase of study

Pharmaceuticals Moderna and MSD announced that phase 2 trials of a skin cancer vaccine, combined with immunotherapy, demonstrated a 44% reduction in the risk of disease recurrence or death in patients with stage III or IV melanoma.

The vaccine uses the same technology as the vaccine against Covid-19 developed by the company – the use of messenger RNA (mRNA).

The Phase 2 study combined the mRNA-4157/V940 vaccine and Keytruda immunotherapy, which works by increasing the ability of the body’s immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells, in patients with stage III and IV skin cancer that had already undergone complete surgical resection.

The combined treatment was 44% more effective in reducing the risk of relapse or death in patients than immunotherapy alone.

The two companies intend to discuss the results with regulatory authorities to start phase 3 of the study in 2023. Moderna and MSD will share costs and profits equally.

“These results are highly encouraging for cancer treatment. mRNA was transformative for Covid-19, and now, for the first time, we have demonstrated the potential for mRNA to have an impact on the outcomes of a clinical trial in melanoma,” said Stéphane Bancel, Managing Director of Moderna.

She also said the company intends to initiate additional studies in melanoma and other forms of cancer “with the goal of bringing truly individualized cancer care to patients.”

Adverse events were seen in 14.4% of patients who received the vaccine and Keytruda combination, compared to 10% who received Keytruda alone, and they were consistent with those previously reported in the phase 1 clinical trial.

“Brazil is the second country in the world with the highest rate of skin cancer and the combination of knowledge between the two companies combining the mRNA vaccine with immunotherapy is an innovation that can help bring great benefits to Brazilian patients”, says Marcia Abadi , medical director of MSD Brazil.