Jamaine Punzalan

A dermatologist examines patient's birthmark with magnifying glass. Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787187863725bermix-studio-PNdOpC-6q-I-unsplash.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A dermatologist examines patient&#x27;s birthmark with magnifying glass. Photo by Bermix Studio on Unsplash</span></span></span></div><p>US drugmakers Merck and Moderna said Wednesday a personalized cancer treatment had shown success in reducing the recurrence of melanoma tumors in a late-stage trial hailed by experts as a &quot;breakthrough.&quot;</p><p>The news sent shares in Moderna soaring 145 percent to $154 while Merck&#x27;s stock was up more than 12 percent to $152.</p><p>The drug, called &quot;intismeran autogene,&quot; is based on the same messenger RNA (mRNA) technology behind Covid-19 vaccines.</p><p>Researchers have for years been trying to apply mRNA treatments against cancer, but this was the first time such a drug showed positive results in a large, late-stage clinical trial.</p><p>&quot;Today marks an extraordinary milestone for Moderna, for mRNA science and, most importantly, for patients with cancer,&quot; Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.</p><p>The trial lasted approximately a year and involved 1,137 patients who, following surgical removal of their cancers, were randomized into groups, with two-thirds receiving the new treatment plus pembrolizumab -- the current standard-of-care drug -- while the rest received pembrolizumab alone.</p><p>The companies said they would present their data at an upcoming international conference and begin filings with regulators for approval.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;PROOF OF PRINCIPLE&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Lennard Lee, an oncologist and assistant professor at the University of Oxford who was not involved in the trial, called the results &quot;very encouraging,&quot; adding: &quot;We should now look forward to seeing the complete data.&quot;</p><p>Oncologist Marco Gerlinger, a professor at London&#x27;s Barts Cancer Institute, added that beyond being good news for patients with melanoma, it was &quot;proof of principle that personalised cancer vaccines work.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I think it is fair to call it a breakthrough in the development of new cancer immunotherapies,&quot; he added, while also noting the press release was short on details.</p><p>The treatment works by taking a sample of the patient&#x27;s tumor and identifying its unique mutational signature, or &quot;fingerprint,&quot; then using mRNA technology to fight it.</p><p>Messenger RNA technology uses synthetic molecular instructions encased in tiny fat bubbles that temporarily enter cells, causing them to produce targets that train the body&#x27;s immune system.</p><p>The technology was first conceived decades ago but came to the fore during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Moderna and Pfizer developed vaccines that were highly effective against serious forms of the illness.</p><p>Melanoma is one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer, with more than 330,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide in 2022.</p><p>&quot;Together with Merck, we are now studying intismeran in combination with pembrolizumab and other anti-cancer therapies, and as a monotherapy, across multiple tumor types and stages of disease, including melanoma, lung, bladder and kidney cancers,&quot; said Bancel.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/8/18/fatty-food-raises-risk-of-colorectal-cancer-1136">Fatty food raises risk of colorectal cancer </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/8/13/healthcare-reforms-seen-risk-raising-cancer-costs-and-straining-smaller-hospitals-1312">Healthcare reforms seen risk raising cancer costs</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/8/4/study-shows-why-younger-generations-may-be-more-cancer-prone-0952">Study shows why younger generations may be more cancer-prone </a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xCZFgnc7R18?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>US drugmakers Merck and Moderna said Wednesday a personalized cancer treatment had shown success in reducing the recurrence of melanoma tumors in a late-stage trial hailed by experts as a "breakthrough."</p>

US drugmakers Merck and Moderna said Wednesday a personalized cancer treatment had shown success in reducing the recurrence of melanoma tumors in a late-stage trial hailed by experts as a "breakthrough."

'Breakthrough' mRNA cancer drug curbs melanoma in large trial

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'Breakthrough' mRNA cancer drug curbs melanoma in large trial

Agence France-Presse

Published August 20, 2026 09:06 AM PHT

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melanoma

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