A groundbreaking five-year clinical study has demonstrated that a dual-drug approach to treating melanoma significantly lowered the chances of the cancer spreading throughout the body by 59%, according to trial results released Thursday.
Researchers examined the effectiveness of pairing Moderna’s investigational personalized cancer vaccine, intismeran autogene, with Merck’s established immunotherapy drug Keytruda in melanoma patients who had undergone surgical treatment. The clinical trial aimed to evaluate whether this treatment combination could stop the cancer from coming back and included 157 participants enrolled between 2019 and 2021.
The five-year survival outcomes revealed striking differences between treatment approaches. Patients receiving both medications together achieved a 92.2% overall survival rate, compared to just 71.3% for those treated with Keytruda by itself.
These latest findings build upon previous research demonstrating that the dual therapy reduced the likelihood of cancer return or patient death by 49% over five years, matching earlier three-year results published in 2023.
Currently, researchers are conducting an advanced-stage clinical trial to evaluate whether intismeran could serve as a primary treatment option when paired with Keytruda for melanoma patients. Scientists are also investigating the vaccine’s effectiveness against lung cancer and other malignancies to determine its ability to prevent cancer recurrence.
The experimental vaccine intismeran autogene works by utilizing each patient’s unique tumor genetic profile to educate the immune system to identify and eliminate cancerous cells.
During the study period, seven participants in both treatment groups passed away, with most deaths attributed to cancer. Researchers noted that the safety characteristics of intismeran autogene remained unchanged from previous evaluations.
Melanoma represents the most prevalent cancer type across the United States. According to projections from the American Academy of Dermatology Association, medical professionals expect to diagnose 234,680 new melanoma cases throughout the country in 2026.
Researchers plan to share these study results at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference taking place in Chicago during the upcoming week.
