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DHAKA: Moderna has reported promising results from a global Phase 3 clinical trial of its personalised messenger RNA (mRNA) cancer vaccine, offering fresh hope for patients with melanoma.
The findings are expected to be formally presented at the annual congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) this weekend.
The results showed that 82 per cent of patients treated with the therapeutic cancer vaccine, intismeran, in combination with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab remained free of cancer recurrence two years after treatment.
The study also found that 88.5 per cent of patients remained free of distant metastasis, meaning their cancer had not spread to other parts of the body during the two-year period.
Overall, the combination reduced the risk of cancer recurrence or death by 42 per cent, according to the reported findings.
Professor Georgina Long, the study’s principal investigator, told The Australian newspaper that the results represented a major milestone.
“It’s like the first flight of an aeroplane,” she said, describing the potential significance of the development.
She added that the impact could be substantial not only for people with melanoma but potentially for patients with other types of cancer as well.
The findings mark an important step in research into personalised cancer vaccines, which are designed to help the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. Further research will be needed to establish how broadly the approach can benefit patients with different forms of cancer.