A tailored mRNA cancer vaccine shows early promise in decreasing the likelihood of melanoma returning after surgery, offering hope for a new method to treating high-risk skin cancer.
The therapy, known as intismeran autogene, is being developed by drug makers Moderna and Merck. It is supposed to combine with an existing immunotherapy, Keytruda, to teach a patient’s immune system to detect and destroy cancer cells containing mutations particular to their tumour.
A Phase 3 clinical trial including 1,137 patients with high-risk melanoma found that those who had the tailored vaccine together with Keytruda had a 42 per cent lower risk of the cancer recurring, or the patient dying, compared with people who had Keytruda alone.
After two years, almost 82.2 per cent of people treated with the combo had not seen their cancer return, compared to 70 per cent of people treated with Keytruda alone. The vaccine also cut the danger of cancer spreading to other parts of the body or death by 38 per cent.
Unlike conventional vaccines, which are designed to prevent infectious diseases, the experimental treatment is personalised for each individual. Scientists examine a sample of the patient’s tumour to find unique mutations and then utilise that information to create an mRNA therapy that helps the immune system recognise those cancer-related targets.
The technique employs the same generic mRNA technology that helped for the speedy production of COVID-19 vaccines, but with a different aim: It’s meant to help the body fight cancer that may linger after a tumour has been surgically removed.
The findings could be a crucial step forward for those with high-risk melanoma that returns even after surgery and routine treatment, researchers say. Melanoma is a deadly form of skin cancer that originates in the cells that make the pigment (colour) of the skin and can spread (metastasise) to other organs.
The companies said the treatment’s safety profile was moderate, with common side effects including fever, discomfort at the injection site and exhaustion. However, longer-term follow-up is underway and overall survival data from the Phase 3 trial is not yet mature.
The results are promising, but the vaccine is still exploratory, and the companies said they plan to discuss prospective submissions with regulatory authorities. More evaluation is needed before its availability and use in normal cancer care can be established.
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