Merck-Moderna mRNA cancer vaccine succeeds in late-stage melanoma trial
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STAT Plus<br>Breaking News
Moderna and Merck say mRNA cancer vaccine succeeded in late-stage melanoma trial
Results could herald a new, powerful approach in other cancers
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By Matthew Herper and Angus Chen<br>Aug. 19, 2026
Matthew Herper
[email protected]
Matthew Herper covers medical innovation — both its promise and its perils.
Angus Chen
[email protected]
Angus reports on the basic research, clinical science, and drug development that may transform survival and quality of life for patients, as well as developments affecting the cancer community. You can reach Angus on Signal at angus.08.
A personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, added to an existing treatment, slowed the return of melanoma and its spread to other parts of the body in a late-stage clinical trial, the drugmakers Merck and Moderna announced Wednesday, results that could herald a new, powerful approach in oncology.
So-called “neoantigen” vaccines have long been seen as having potential as cancer treatments, but this is the first randomized Phase 3 clinical trial aimed at definitively proving their benefit. In this case the personalized vaccine, intismeran, was combined with Merck’s Keytruda in adjuvant melanoma, meaning patients’ disease had been surgically removed.<br>Advertisement
If the results hold up — the drugmakers did not immediately release detailed data — they could deliver new hope and potentially longer lives for patients. They could also be a further testament to the power of mRNA as a platform to develop both traditional vaccines and therapeutics.
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biotechnology, Cancer, drug development, Merck, Moderna, Pharmaceuticals, STAT+
Submit a correction requestReprints
Matthew Herper
Senior Writer, Medicine, Editorial Director of Events
Matthew Herper covers medical innovation — both its promise and its perils.
Angus Chen
Cancer Reporter
Angus reports on the basic research, clinical science, and drug development that may transform survival and quality of life for patients, as well as developments affecting the cancer community. You can reach Angus on Signal at angus.08.
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