Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In A First, MRNA Vaccine Effective Against Melanoma, Study Finds
The Washington Post: Experimental Skin Cancer Vaccine Shows Promising Early Results
For the first time, messenger RNA technology — the advance that undergirds the most commonly used coronavirus vaccines — has been shown effective against a deadly form of skin cancer, when used in conjunction with a second cancer drug, according to preliminary study results released Tuesday. The experimental cancer vaccine from Moderna that uses mRNA, combined with Merck’s cancer immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, marketed as Keytruda, performed well in mid-stage testing in patients battling melanoma, the two companies announced Tuesday. (Bernstein, 12/13)
Bloomberg: Moderna MRNA Melanoma Vaccine Succeeds In Combination With Merck’s Keytruda
The combination of the vaccine with Merck’s Keytruda cut the risk of death or recurrence of the lethal skin cancer by 44%, the companies said Tuesday in a statement. The drugmakers plan to move the combined treatment into final-stage studies next year. Moderna shares rose as much as 26% as of 1 p.m. in New York, while Merck’s gained as much as 2.1%. (Peebles and Langreth, 12/13)
Stat: Moderna Cancer Vaccine Reduces Melanoma’s Return By 44%
The 157 patients in the Phase 2 study had stage 3 or stage 4 melanoma that could be surgically removed so that there was no visible disease. Then Moderna scanned samples of their tumors using genetic sequencing and artificial intelligence to look for mutations that are likely to make the cancer come back. A personalized mRNA vaccine was made containing mRNA code for up to 34 proteins found in this sample. Patients received the resulting vaccine at a dose of one milligram once every three weeks for nine months. (Herper, 12/13)
