Moderna Vaccine Reduced Risk of Cancer Recurrence by 42%
This appears to be a breakthrough in oncology
Biotechnology company Moderna, in collaboration with pharmaceutical giant Merck, presented the results of the final phase of trials for an innovative personalized vaccine against skin cancer (melanoma).
The drug, named intismeran autogene, is manufactured individually for each patient based on genetic analysis of their tumor. The vaccine 'trains' the immune system to recognize specific mutations and precisely destroy cancer cells.
According to the presented medical data, the use of the vaccine in combination with the popular immunotherapy drug Keytruda demonstrated high efficacy. The risk of disease recurrence or fatal outcome was reduced by 42% compared to the use of traditional immunotherapy alone. Additionally, the risk of metastasis spreading to other organs and tissues decreased by 38%.
Developers note that creating an individual dose is a high-tech process, taking about six weeks. However, pharmaceutical companies are already working to shorten this timeframe to make the treatment more accessible.
The medical community views this technology as a potential fundamental breakthrough. In the future, a similar mRNA-based approach is planned for the treatment of other types of malignant tumors.
Despite the scientific success and full alignment of results with doctors' expectations, Moderna's stock prices fell by nearly 25%. Analysts attribute this to technical factors: a rapid rise in stock prices before the report's publication, as well as short-term investor panic due to a partial data leak prior to the official release of the report.
