Nurullah İlhan amplified Andrea Boutros’s ASCO26 melanoma and skin cancer roundup, spotlighting sustained 5-year benefits from personalized mRNA vaccine intismeran plus pembrolizumab.
The post said the combination showed durable reductions in recurrence and distant metastasis, framing it as a key sign of momentum toward more personalized treatment.
İlhan also pointed to advancing neoadjuvant triplet strategies and next-generation cell therapies, including engineered TIL and PRAME-targeted TCR-T, in both resectable and advanced disease.
Boutros’s original summary cast long-term mRNA vaccine data, neoadjuvant progress and new cell therapies as the standout ASCO26 themes likely to shape practice in coming years.
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Sustained 5-Year Efficacy of Personalized mRNA-4157/V940 Vaccine with Pembrolizumab in High-Risk Melanoma: ASCO26 Highlights
Overview
At ASCO26 in 2026, Moderna and Merck presented 5-year follow-up data showing that their personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, mRNA-4157/V940, combined with KEYTRUDA, offers sustained efficacy and lasting benefits for patients with high-risk Stage III/IV melanoma. This individualized therapy targets unique tumor neoantigens—abnormal proteins found only on cancer cells—helping the immune system attack cancer while sparing healthy cells. The combination therapy demonstrated a manageable safety profile, with severe side effects similar to KEYTRUDA alone, highlighting its promise as a durable and effective treatment option for melanoma patients.