Experimental mRNA drug makes breakthrough in deadly skin cancer treatment

More than 8,500 Americans are expected to die of melanoma this year

Stock prices for the American vaccine manufacturer Moderna more than doubled on Wednesday after the company reported successful results from its messenger RNA melanoma cancer vaccine.  The mRNA shot, in combination with Merck’s immunotherapy drug Keytruda, met critical benchmarks in a global late-stage clinical trial o

Moderna and Merck announced today that their personalized mRNA-based cancer vaccine, combined with Merck’s immunotherapy medication Keytruda, met initial goals in a late-stage trial.  The ongoing mRNA cancer vaccine study involves 1,137 patients with high-risk melanoma that has been surgically removed. In early results

The candidate is a combination of an mRNA therapeutic vaccine and Merck’s cancer drug Keytruda.

The combination regimen significantly extended the time patients lived without their melanoma returning, compared with Keytruda alone.

Combining a vaccine and immunotherapy approach could open new ways to treat cancer.

Drugmaker’s cancer shot developed with Merck delivers positive outcome in late-stage trial

President Trump is expected to nominate Heidi Overton, White House deputy director of domestic policy, to serve as the next FDA commissioner

Pharmaceutical giants Moderna and Merck said that an experimental vaccine treatment has shown signs of preventing skin cancer from returning or spreading in a study of melanoma patients.

Optimism about a potential breakthrough in personalised cancer treatment has sent shares in Moderna soaring by nearly 100%.

The mRNA-based vaccine combined with Keytruda reduced melanoma recurrence in more than 1,100 patients whose cancer had been surgically removed

Women with breast cancer who were left languishing in PBS drug uncertainty have been offered a lifeline.