Cancer vaccine cuts melanoma death risk by 42 per cent

Key points

• Moderna and Merck say their mRNA cancer vaccine, combined with Merck's immunotherapy Keytruda, cut the risk of melanoma death or recurrence by 42 per cent in a Phase 3 trial of more than 1100 patients. The combination also cut the risk of the cancer spreading by 38 per cent.
• After two years, 82.2 per cent of patients receiving both treatments remained cancer-free, compared with 70 per cent of those given Keytruda alone.
• Moderna says it expects the vaccine to launch in 2027, and the combination is being tested in other cancers, including kidney, bladder and lung cancer.