Vaccine breakthrough stops cancer returning in trial

A revolutionary personalised vaccine, developed by Merck & Co and Moderna, has shown promising results in a trial, potentially halting the return of skin cancer in patients. Administered in combination with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda, the vaccine called Intismeran extended the cancer-free period in those with high-risk melanoma.

The phase three trial, involving over 1,000 patients, demonstrated that the vaccine significantly increased the time patients remained cancer-free and reduced the risk of the disease spreading. While the full impact of the treatment remains unclear, cancer experts hail the breakthrough, but caution that further review and regulatory approval are necessary before the treatment can be widely available on the NHS.