Skin cancer vaccine shows sustained benefit after five years, companies say

Moderna and Merck reported that their personalised melanoma vaccine, given with Keytruda, reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 49% in a mid-stage trial after five years of follow-up.

Moderna and Merck reported five-year follow-up results for an experimental vaccine tested in high-risk melanoma. The vaccine, intismeran autogene, was given after surgical removal of tumors and administered together with Keytruda. It is personalised for each patient based on the genetic signature of their tumor. The companies describe the treatment as aiming to train and sustain the immune system's response against cancer cells. Key facts: - The article reports a 49% reduction in the risk of recurrence or death in a mid-stage trial based on five years of follow-up. - The five-year improvement in recurrence-free survival was consistent with data reported at the three-year mark in 2023. - The vaccine is called intismeran autogene and is personalised to each patient's tumor genetic signature. - The trial enrolled patients with high-risk melanoma after surgical tumor removal and used the vaccine alongside Keytruda. - Moderna and Merck are conducting eight larger studies of the combination in other cancers, including lung, bladder and kidney. Summary: The trial results indicate a sustained recurrence-free survival benefit at five years in the mid-stage melanoma study. The companies report a 49% reduction in the risk of recurrence or death when the vaccine was given with Keytruda. Larger trials across multiple cancer types are underway as the next step.