‘Breakthrough’ mRNA cancer drug curbs melanoma in large trial

US drugmakers Moderna and Merck reported on Wednesday that a personalised cancer treatment, called intismeran autogene, had shown success in reducing the recurrence of melanoma tumors in a large, late-stage clinical trial. Hailed as a breakthrough by experts, the news sent Moderna's shares soaring 145% to US$154, while Merck's stock increased by more than 12% to US$152.

The drug, based on mRNA technology, first used in Covid-19 vaccines, was the first of its kind to demonstrate positive results in a large trial. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel called it an extraordinary milestone for his company, mRNA science, and patients with cancer. The trial, involving 1,137 patients, randomly assigned two-thirds to receive the new treatment plus pembrolizumab, while the rest received pembrolizumab alone.

Oncologists praised the results as very encouraging, marking a proof of principle that personalised cancer vaccines work. Melanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer, saw over 330,000 new cases worldwide in 2022. Merck and Moderna are now studying intismeran in combination with other anti-cancer therapies across multiple tumor types and stages of disease.