mRNA cancer vaccine succeeded in Phase 3 melanoma trial, Moderna and Merck say

Ars Technica reports that Moderna and Merck said their personalized mRNA vaccine showed effectiveness in a late‑stage trial for melanoma, a deadly skin cancer. The phase three study enrolled one thousand one hundred thirty seven patients whose tumors had been surgically removed and randomly assigned two to one to receive either the vaccine together with Merck’s Keytruda antibody or Keytruda alone, with treatment lasting about one year. The trial was double‑blind and placebo‑controlled, meaning neither doctors nor participants knew which regimen they received. If the results hold up, the success could mark the first proven benefit for both mRNA‑based vaccines and individualized cancer therapies.

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