Moderna Jumps Over 9% in Pre-Market Trading as Melanoma Vaccine with Merck Shows Sustained 49% Reduction in Recurrence or Death Risk

ByMSD(MRK.US) and Moderna (MRNA.US) Jointly Developed Personalized Vaccine Shows Promising New Results in Study, Significantly Increasing the Chances of Patients Remaining Cancer-Free Over a Three-Year Observation Period. According to reports, the two companies stated on Thursday that patients with advanced melanoma who received this vaccine along with Merck's cancer drug Keytruda had a 49% reduction in the risk of death or cancer recurrence compared to those treated with Keytruda alone.

These findings are particularly important for Moderna, the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer whose post-pandemic strategy includes developing new uses for its messenger RNA technology to combat influenza, RSV, and cancer. Last month, Moderna said it expects a sharp drop in revenue in 2024, below analysts' expectations, raising concerns in the market about the company’s ability to fund its ambitious product pipeline.

It is reported that melanoma accounts for only about 1% of skin cancers in the United States, but it causes the most deaths each year. Creating a cancer vaccine involves analyzing the genetic sequence of each patient's tumor to develop a personalized therapy that educates the immune system to recognize markers of abnormal growth. In mid-stage research, patients received these drugs after tumor surgery.

As of press time, Moderna's pre-market rose over 9%, after the company's stock price has fallen more than half so far this year. In contrast, Merck's stock price remained relatively stable.

Notably, patients who received the drug-vaccine combination treatment two years ago had a 44% reduction in the risk of death or recurrence compared to those treated with Keytruda alone. This indicates that the vaccine’s efficacy in preventing skin cancer recurrence has remained consistent without significant change or decline, whether observed two years ago or within the three-year period mentioned above, suggesting that the protection offered by the vaccine is long-lasting.

In this regard, Moderna President Stephen Hoge said in an interview: "We have now answered the remaining scientific question: Is this benefit temporary or long-lasting?"

Finally, Moderna and Merck & Co., Inc. launched a late-stage trial in July for a combination therapy for melanoma patients. Hoge said that such trials may be necessary to confirm the results and could take three to four years, although regulators might help patients access this treatment earlier.

Merck and Moderna are testing the combination in other cancers using Keytruda. Earlier this week, the two companies said they had begun a late-stage trial of the combination treatment in lung cancer patients.

Editor: Guo Mingyu