Moderna stock rises as mRNA vaccine/Keytruda combo shows promise in skin cancer trial
hapabapa

Merck (NYSE:MRK) and Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) said their mRNA cancer vaccine mRNA-4157/V940, in combination with Keytruda, met the main goal of a phase 2b study in certain patients with melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
The personalized cancer vaccine mRNA-4157/V940, in combination with Keytruda, showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in the primary goal of recurrence-free survival (RFS), compared to Keytruda alone as an adjuvant treatment for patients with stage 3/4 melanoma following complete resection.
The companies said the combo cut the risk of recurrence or death by 44%, versus Keytruda alone in the study dubbed KEYNOTE-942.
"mRNA has been transformative for COVID-19, and now, for the first time ever, we have demonstrated the potential for mRNA to have an impact on outcomes in a randomized clinical trial in melanoma," said Moderna's CEO StÃ©phane Bancel.
Serious treatment-related adverse events occurred in 14.4% of patients who received the mRNA-4157/V940 and Keytruda combo, versus 10% with Keytruda alone.
Adverse events seen with mRNA-4157/V940 were consistent with that observed in previously reported studies, according to the companies.
The companies plan to discuss the results with regulatory authorities and start a phase 3 study in patients with melanoma in 2023 and expand to additional tumor types.
The mRNA-4157/V940 vaccine is designed to stimulate an immune response by generating specific T cell responses based on the unique mutational signature of a patient's tumor, according to the companies.
MRNA +7.93% to $177.97 premarket Dec. 13
MRK +2.32% to $111.50 premarket