Melanoma vaccine shows promise in major trial
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Moderna and Merck say their experimental melanoma vaccine has delivered positive results in a large clinical trial, strengthening hopes for a new treatment option for patients with the aggressive form of skin cancer. Interim results show goals were met for recurrence and preventing cancer spread. Melanoma remains a major health concern, with more than 1.5 million people in the U.S. living with the disease in 2023. The results mark an important step forward for personalized cancer vaccines, which are designed to train the immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells more effectively.
Source
Eggermont, A. M. M., Blank, C. U., Mandala, M., Long, G. V., Atkinson, V., Dalle, S., Haydon, A., Lichinitser, M., Khattak, A., Carlino, M. S., Sandhu, S., Larkin, J., Puig, S., Ascierto, P. A., Rutkowski, P., Schadendorf, D., Koornstra, R., Hernandez-Aya, L., Maio, M., van den Eertwegh, A. J. M., … Robert, C. (2018). Adjuvant Pembrolizumab versus Placebo in Resected Stage III Melanoma. The New England journal of medicine, 378(19), 1789–1801. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1802357
Additional Reading
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/19/health/moderna-merck-mrna-melanoma-vaccine