{
  "id": 2025659,
  "title": "‘Breakthrough’ mRNA cancer drug curbs melanoma in large trial",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/breakthrough-mrna-cancer-drug-curbs-melanoma-in-large-trial-2025659",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-19T21:47:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2026/08/20/breakthrough-mrna-cancer-drug-curbs-melanoma-in-large-trial"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "US pharmaceutical giants Moderna and Merck announced on Wednesday that an experimental mRNA cancer therapy demonstrated promising results in a large-scale clinical trial aimed at curbing melanoma recurrence. The drug, known as intismeran autogene, harnesses the same mRNA technology that underpins Covid-19 vaccines. Merck's stock surged over 12% to $152, while Moderna's shares jumped by 145% to $154 following the positive trial outcomes.\n\nThe year-long trial involved 1,137 patients who had undergone surgical removal of their melanomas. Participants were divided into groups, with two-thirds receiving the novel treatment combined with pembrolizumab, the standard-of-care drug, while the remaining participants received pembrolizumab alone. The trial's success marks a groundbreaking milestone for Moderna, mRNA research, and most importantly, cancer patients.\n\nModerna's CEO, Stephane Bancel, expressed his excitement about the trial's achievements, stating that it represents a significant milestone for the company, mRNA science, and patients with cancer. The trial data will be unveiled at an upcoming international conference and submitted to regulatory authorities for approval.\n\nOncologist Lennard Lee, from the University of Oxford, described the results as \"very encouraging,\" while London-based Barts Cancer Institute professor Marco Gerlinger hailed the breakthrough as \"proof of principle that personalized cancer vaccines work.\" The treatment identifies a patient's unique tumor mutations and employs mRNA technology to target these specific mutations, ultimately training the immune system to fight the cancer cells.\n\nMelanoma, one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer, saw more than 330,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide in 2022. Both Moderna and Merck are now investigating the drug's effectiveness when combined with pembrolizumab and other anti-cancer therapies, as well as its potential as a standalone treatment for various tumor types and disease stages.",
  "summary": "The treatment works by taking a sample of the patient's tumour, identifying its unique mutational signature, and then using mRNA technology to fight it.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "‘Breakthrough’ mRNA cancer drug curbs melanoma in large trial",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/breakthrough-mrna-cancer-drug-curbs-melanoma-in-large-trial",
        "published": "2026-08-19T21:47:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}