Personalised cancer vaccine expected to be approved next year — SkimNews
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- Moderna and Merck developed a personalized mRNA vaccine that, with pembrolizumab, cut melanoma recurrence or death by 12 percentage points in a trial of over 1,100 patients
- Trial participants receiving the vaccine plus pembrolizumab had an 82% recurrence-free survival rate at two years, versus 70% for those on pembrolizumab alone
- Rebecca Lee says the vaccine contains up to 34 cancer-specific mutations encoded in mRNA, helping T-cells recognize tumors while pembrolizumab prevents immune exhaustion
- Alan Melcher notes the combined trial endpoint reflects recurrence more than survival, as cancer must recur before causing death, and long-term survival data will emerge in years
- Rebecca Lee warns the bespoke manufacturing process could make the vaccine cost around $200,000 per treatment, raising doubts about NHS cost-effectiveness despite likely regulatory approval
- James Larkin suggests the same vaccine approach could extend to lung, bladder, and kidney cancers treated with immunotherapy, though further research is needed
Why it matters: Thousands of high-risk melanoma patients in the UK and US could gain access to a vaccine that meaningfully delays recurrence, but at an estimated $200,000 per course, health systems like the NHS may restrict use unless pricing or patient selection improves.
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