Personalised melanoma vaccine cuts recurrence risk in trial
An mRNA vaccine combined with immunotherapy produced better two-year outcomes than immunotherapy alone.
A personalised mRNA cancer vaccine combined with immunotherapy reduced the risk of melanoma returning or patients dying in a major trial, according to results released by Moderna and MSD. The findings are early clinical evidence, not a general treatment recommendation.
The vaccine, known as intismeran, was tested alongside MSD’s immunotherapy Keytruda in people with melanoma. ITV News reported that the combination reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 42% compared with Keytruda alone after two years.
The reported results showed that 82% of people receiving the combination were alive without a recurrence two years later, compared with 70% of those receiving Keytruda alone. A second measure found a 38% reduction in the risk of the cancer spreading or death.
The vaccine is personalised to the genetic features of an individual’s tumour. That means it is designed for a particular patient’s cancer rather than being a single standard vaccine given to everyone.
The study involved patients in the UK and other countries, and the approach is also being tested in kidney, bladder and lung cancers. The company-released results do not themselves establish regulatory approval for wider use.
The findings do not show that the vaccine works for every melanoma patient or every cancer. Individual treatment decisions should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.
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Fact-check Approved with corrections · Priya Shah — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The reported percentages and comparison are supported by ITV and AP. The article explicitly qualifies the results because the accessible reports describe company-released trial findings rather than a completed regulatory assessment.
- confirmed The combination reduced recurrence or death risk by 42% after two years. — Reported by ITV News and AP from the trial results. source
- confirmed Two-year recurrence-free survival was 82% with the combination and 70% with Keytruda alone. — Reported by ITV News and AP. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: World’s first mRNA cancer jabNow: A personalised mRNA cancer vaccine (The original wording could imply regulatory approval or universal availability.)
Editor's note
The reported trial figures come from company-released results covered by ITV and AP. The article avoids calling the vaccine a proven or universally available treatment; independent peer-reviewed assessment and regulatory decisions remain relevant.Sources
More on this in other media
- The Independent — „cancer melanoma”
- BBC News — „cancer melanoma”
- The Guardian — „cancer melanoma”