NYU Langone Says mRNA Melanoma Combo Cuts Recurrence or Death Risk 49% Over 5 Years
Updated
Updated · dongascience.com · May 24
NYU Langone Says mRNA Melanoma Combo Cuts Recurrence or Death Risk 49% Over 5 Years
2 articles · Updated · dongascience.com · May 24
Summary
Five-year follow-up in 107 post-surgery melanoma patients showed personalized mRNA vaccine intismeran plus pembrolizumab left 68.8% alive without recurrence, versus 49.1% with pembrolizumab alone.
The combination cut recurrence or death risk by 49% and reduced distant metastasis risk by 59%, while overall survival reached 92.2% compared with 71.3% for standard immunotherapy alone.
Intismeran is built from each patient's tumor neoantigens—up to 34 targets—and is designed to train T cells, while pembrolizumab blocks PD-1 to restore immune attack, giving the two-drug approach complementary effects.
Manageable side effects included fatigue, injection-site pain and chills; NYU Langone plans to present the data at ASCO on June 1 as a phase 3 multicenter trial continues in melanoma and studies expand to cancers including lung.