Initial results from a cancer vaccine trials promises a much-needed breakthrough for cancer vaccines. The trial, conducted by Moderna and Merck revealed that the vaccine created using the same messenger-RNA technology as Covid jabs, reduces the risk of recurrence of skin cancer and death by 44%.
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‘Home run’
Melanoma patients who take Keytruda – the experimental vaccine – for advanced stages of the cancer were less likely to die, or have the skin cancer reoccur, if they also had the jab, according to Moderna and MSD.
The results are based on data collected from 157 patients with stage III/IV melanoma. The findings are yet to be verified by independent experts and or regulators. While more trials will be needed to check the efficacy of the treatment, the medical community is hopeful the experimental vaccine could lead to revolutionary new ways to fight skin, bowel and other types of cancer. Moderna's chief medical officer Paul Burton said of the experimental trial:
This is a significant finding…It's shown a 44% relative reduction in the risk of dying of cancer or having your cancer progress. That's an important finding and I think it has the potential to be a new paradigm in the treatment of cancer patients.
Potential
Moderna has not yet named a price for the vaccine which is very expensive to make as it is designed to match each patient’s cancer. The vaccine can be made in about eight weeks, but Moderna says it’s possible to halve the time.
Experts said the personalized vaccines were among several promising cancer vaccine ideas in the works after many failures in the field, according to Reuters. Prof Alan Melcher from The Institute of Cancer Research said:
There's no question, this is very exciting. These results show the feasibility of making and delivering personalized vaccines to treat cancer, and that the vaccine can add benefit to current treatments.
Sources used:
BBC: Cancer mRNA vaccine completes pivotal trial
Reuters: Positive Moderna, Merck cancer vaccine data advances mRNA promise, shares rise
Yahoo Finance: Personalized cancer vaccine results are a 'home run': Moderna CEO
