Moderna, Merck mRNA Vaccine Holds Melanoma at Bay for 5 Years as Cancer Pipeline Expands
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Jun 9
Moderna, Merck mRNA Vaccine Holds Melanoma at Bay for 5 Years as Cancer Pipeline Expands
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 9
Summary
Five-year data showed Moderna and Merck’s personalized mRNA vaccine plus immunotherapy kept melanoma from returning, a key milestone for cancer vaccines presented at ASCO.
More than 130 studies at the Chicago meeting pointed to broader potential, with early signals in pancreatic and brain cancers and nine Moderna-Merck trials underway across lung, kidney, bladder and pancreas tumors.
In pancreatic cancer, Memorial Sloan Kettering researchers reported that seven of eight vaccine responders were still alive up to six years later; a 260-patient global phase 2 trial is now testing that approach.
The advances are landing despite mixed U.S. policy: HHS cut $500 million from mRNA vaccine projects, while the National Cancer Institute is backing a $200 million public-private cancer vaccine effort.
Researchers say the field could become an $8.5 billion annual market by 2034, with companies including Roche and BioNTech pushing mRNA into cancers long seen as resistant to immune attack.
As mRNA pioneers fight cancer, could DNA vaccines or other rivals steal the spotlight?
Will personalized mRNA cancer vaccines become a luxury treatment only for the wealthy?
How will hospitals create a unique vaccine for every cancer patient on a global scale?
Breakthrough: Moderna and Merck’s mRNA Vaccine Combo Delivers 49% Five-Year Risk Reduction in High-Risk Melanoma
Overview
Recent findings in June 2026 revealed that combining Moderna’s personalized mRNA-4157 (V940) vaccine with Merck’s Keytruda led to a sustained 49% reduction in the risk of recurrence or death for patients with high-risk stage III/IV melanoma over five years. This breakthrough marks a pivotal moment in the fight against aggressive skin cancer, offering new hope for long-term disease control. The consistent benefit seen at both three and five years suggests a lasting and profound impact on the disease’s course, highlighting the durable advantage of this innovative combination therapy for high-risk patients.