'Breakthrough' mRNA cancer drug shows success in curbing melanoma tumours 

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US drugmakers Merck and Moderna said Wednesday a personalised cancer treatment had shown success in reducing the recurrence of melanoma tumours in a late-stage trial hailed by experts as a “breakthrough”.

The news sent shares in Moderna soaring 145 percent to USD 154 while Merck’s stock was up more than 12 percent to USD 152.

The drug, called “intismeran autogene,” is based on the same messenger RNA (mRNA) technology behind Covid-19 vaccines.

Researchers have for years been trying to apply mRNA treatments against cancer, but this was the first time such a drug showed positive results in a large, late-stage clinical trial.

“Today marks an extraordinary milestone for Moderna, for mRNA science and, most importantly, for patients with cancer,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.

The trial lasted approximately a year and involved 1,137 patients who, following surgical removal of their cancers, were randomized into groups, with two-thirds receiving the new treatment plus pembrolizumab — the current standard-of-care drug — while the rest received pembrolizumab alone.

The companies said they would present their data at an upcoming international conference and begin filings with regulators for approval.

‘Proof of principle’

Lennard Lee, an oncologist and assistant professor at the University of Oxford who was not involved in the trial, called the results “very encouraging,” adding: “We should now look forward to seeing the complete data.”

Oncologist Marco Gerlinger, a professor at London’s Barts Cancer Institute, added that beyond being good news for patients with melanoma, it was “proof of principle that personalised cancer vaccines work.”

“I think it is fair to call it a breakthrough in the development of new cancer immunotherapies,” he added, while also noting the press release was short on details.

The treatment works by taking a sample of the patient’s tumour and identifying its unique mutational signature, or “fingerprint,” then using mRNA technology to fight it.

Messenger RNA technology uses synthetic molecular instructions encased in tiny fat bubbles that temporarily enter cells, causing them to produce targets that train the body’s immune system.

The technology was first conceived decades ago but came to the fore during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Moderna and Pfizer developed vaccines that were highly effective against serious forms of the illness.

Melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer, with more than 330,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide in 2022.

“Together with Merck, we are now studying intismeran in combination with pembrolizumab and other anti-cancer therapies, and as a monotherapy, across multiple tumour types and stages of disease, including melanoma, lung, bladder and kidney cancers,” said Bancel.

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