{
  "id": 1999583,
  "title": "Vaccine breakthrough stops cancer returning in trial",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/vaccine-breakthrough-stops-cancer-returning-in-trial",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-19T19:00:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC News",
    "slug": "bbc-news",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c79gpv7v190o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new personalised vaccine, developed by Merck and Moderna, has shown promising results in a trial, potentially revolutionising cancer treatment. The vaccine, named Intismeran, was administered to patients with high-risk melanoma, a severe form of skin cancer, following their surgical removal of tumours. Early findings indicate that this vaccine, combined with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda, significantly extended the cancer-free period of patients and reduced the risk of the disease spreading to other organs. Unlike standard treatments, the personalised vaccine targets an individual's specific tumour by using mRNA technology to identify and sequence the cancer cells' DNA. Although the full results have not been peer-reviewed, cancer experts view this as a significant breakthrough, although they caution that more research is needed to determine the vaccine's long-term efficacy. The treatment, still in the early stages, would require approval from regulatory bodies and the NHS before becoming available. The phase three trial involved over 1,000 patients with high-risk melanoma, ranging from localized tumours to metastatic cancer. Merck and Moderna plan to test similar personalised vaccines for lung, bladder, and kidney cancers. Leading experts, including Dr. Talisia Quallo and Dr. Lennard Lee, express enthusiasm for the potential of personalised cancer vaccines, emphasising the need for continued funding to further develop these innovative treatments.",
  "summary": "A new jab extended the length of time patients were cancer free, but it is unclear for how long.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Health",
        "title": "Vaccine breakthrough stops cancer returning in trial",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/vaccine-breakthrough-stops-cancer-returning-in-trial-2002499",
        "published": "2026-08-19T19:00:48.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}