{
  "id": 2048215,
  "title": "Moderna and Merck shares soar on mRNA cancer vaccine",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/moderna-and-merck-shares-soar-on-mrna-cancer-vaccine",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-19T20:04:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Axios",
    "slug": "axios",
    "url": "https://www.axios.com/2026/08/19/moderna-merck-mrna-cancer-vaccine"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Moderna and Merck stocks experienced a significant increase on Wednesday following the announcement that a tailored mRNA treatment achieved its goal of preventing skin cancer recurrence or spread in a late-stage clinical trial. This development is crucial for both companies as it comes at a critical juncture for mRNA research, particularly after the Trump administration decreased funding for new vaccines and expressed concerns over the potential risks of the technology.\n\nThe personalized therapy, which could be commercially available next year, has the potential to be adapted for other types of cancer, including kidney, bladder, and pancreatic. The news of this success could lead to a remarkable turnaround for Moderna, whose market value had plummeted by over 90% after the decline in demand for its COVID vaccine post-pandemic. In a recent interview with Axios, Moderna's president, Stephen Hoge, acknowledged that the company is transitioning from being predominantly a COVID vaccine company to focusing on cancer treatment. However, for those familiar with the current situation, it can be likened to a cancer-focused company swiftly pivoting to help combat COVID and then returning to its core cancer research.\n\nModerna's experimental treatment, called intismeran, was tested in combination with Merck's cancer drug Keytruda in over 1,100 patients with high-risk melanoma that had been surgically removed. The combination showed a clinically meaningful improvement compared to treating the skin cancers with Keytruda alone. This innovative approach essentially trains the immune system to target specific mutations in a patient's tumor, unlike chemotherapy which damages or destroys cancer cells.\n\nDespite the positive results, the trial's full findings will be published at an upcoming medical conference. Nonetheless, Wall Street has reacted favorably to the news, with Moderna's shares jumping 177% and Merck shares closing up 12.6%. The combination treatment's safety profile was consistent with previous studies and showed no new risks, according to Moderna's president. The company's president, Stephen Hoge, emphasized that this result serves as significant validation for the mRNA platform.\n\nThis achievement comes amidst a challenging period for mRNA technology, with the FDA initially refusing to review Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine before reversing its decision. Hoge expressed his hope that this success will help shift the perception of mRNA from being solely associated with vaccines to a transformative therapy in cancer treatment.",
  "summary": "Moderna and Merck shares soared on Wednesday after the companies said a personalized mRNA treatment hit its target of preventing skin cancer from recurring or spreading in a late-stage clinical trial. Why it matters: The results come at a pivotal moment for Moderna and mRNA research, after Trump administration health officials cut federal funding for new vaccines and asserted the technology poses…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Time",
        "title": "Promising Results for mRNA Cancer Vaccine from Moderna and Merck",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/promising-results-for-mrna-cancer-vaccine-from-moderna-and-merck",
        "published": "2026-08-19T13:49:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Seeking Alpha News",
        "title": "Biotechs hit a post-pandemic high after mRNA trial win for Moderna, Merck",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/biotechs-hit-a-post-pandemic-high-after-mrna-trial-win-for-moderna",
        "published": "2026-08-19T18:38:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "Moderna reaches \"landmark moment\" in Melanoma vaccine trial",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/moderna-reaches-landmark-moment-in-melanoma-vaccine-trial",
        "published": "2026-08-20T00:38:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Japan Times",
        "title": "Moderna, Merck breakthrough could usher in wave of cancer vaccines",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/moderna-merck-breakthrough-could-usher-in-wave-of-cancer-vaccines",
        "published": "2026-08-20T01:37:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}