NYU Study Shows Melanoma Combo Cuts Recurrence or Death Risk 49% Over 5 Years
Updated
Updated · Good News Network · Jun 7
NYU Study Shows Melanoma Combo Cuts Recurrence or Death Risk 49% Over 5 Years
3 articles · Updated · Good News Network · Jun 7
Summary
Five-year follow-up in the phase 2b KEYNOTE-942 trial found personalized mRNA vaccine intismeran plus pembrolizumab cut melanoma recurrence or death risk by 49% after surgery.
Among 107 patients on the combination, 68.8% remained cancer-free versus 49.1% of 50 patients given pembrolizumab alone; distant metastasis risk fell 59%.
Overall survival reached 92.2% with the combo compared with 71.3% for immunotherapy alone, while side effects were described as manageable, including fatigue, chills and injection-site pain.
The vaccine is tailored to each patient's tumor neoantigens to prime T cells, complementing pembrolizumab's PD-1 blockade when melanoma resists standard immunotherapy.
Results were presented at ASCO and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology as a phase 3 multicenter melanoma trial is already underway, with testing also expanding to lung and other cancers.
The therapy failed for 31% of patients. What makes some melanomas resistant to this powerful personalized immune attack?
Melanoma was the first test. Which deadly cancer could be the next to fall to personalized mRNA vaccine technology?
Beyond clinical trials, what hurdles prevent these personalized vaccines from reaching every patient who needs them?
Personalized mRNA Vaccine Plus Keytruda Achieves 92% Five-Year Survival in High-Risk Melanoma
Overview
The KEYNOTE-942 study announced at the 2026 ASCO annual meeting marks a major milestone in melanoma treatment, showing that combining a personalized mRNA vaccine (intismeran autogene) with pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) leads to sustained benefits for patients with high-risk, resected melanoma. With five years of follow-up, the study found that this combination therapy provides durable recurrence-free and distant metastasis-free survival, outperforming pembrolizumab alone. Experts highlight these results as a breakthrough, confirming that the personalized approach can significantly reduce the risk of melanoma returning and may shape the future of cancer care.