How a personalised cancer vaccine could cut risk of death by half
A personalised cancer vaccine, intismeran, has been developed by Merck and Moderna. It reduces the risk of death from recurrence and spread of skin cancer when used alongside the immunotherapy drug Keytruda. The therapy works by identifying mutations in a patient’s tumour sample, creating neoantigens that are unique to their cancer.
The vaccine consists of mRNA that encodes for these neoantigens, prompting the immune system to recognise and target the cancer cells. In a Phase 3 study, intismeran reduced the risk of death from skin cancer recurrence by 49% and the risk of death from its spread by 59% compared to Keytruda alone. However, the vaccine's significance for India is limited due to its specific use for melanoma, a rare cancer in India, and the high cost of treatment.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.