Moderna-Merck vaccine cuts odds of skin cancer recurrence in half, study finds
A vaccine shows promising results in treating the most deadly form of skin cancer, Moderna and Merck announced on Thursday.
Those with severe melanomas who received the vaccine and Merck’s cancer drug Keytruda were 49% less likely to die or have their cancer come back after three years than those who were given only Keytruda, the biotech companies said in a news release.
The findings are based on an ongoing randomized trial involving 157 patients with high-risk stage III/IV melanoma who first had surgery to completely remove cancerous growths. Patients received one milligram of the mRNA vaccine every three weeks for nine doses, and 200 milligrams of Keytruda every three weeks for about a year versus Keytruda alone for approximately a year.
said in November it anticipates a steep decline in revenue next year, fueling worries about its capacity to finance multiple product launches planned for 2024 and 2025.
New study finds mRNA vaccine helps battle against melanoma
04:40
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, with melanoma accounting for only about 1% of skin cancer cases in the U.S. That said, it causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. It estimates about 97,610 new melanomas will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, resulting in 7,990 deaths.
Moderna’s stock has cratered this year, falling 50%. On Thursday, its shares shot up 12% in mid-day trading to $87.93.
Rahway, New Jersey-based Merck shares treaded water, down 0.2% at $106.16.
More
Source: cbsnews.com