4 Things to Know About Moderna's mRNA Cancer Vaccine

A cancer vaccine based on the messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, provided alongside the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda), has shown encouraging results in an open label phase 2b clinical trial. The trial found that the combination regimen reduced the risk of cancer recurrence or death among melanoma patients by 44% compared with pembrolizumab alone, according to the vaccine's manufacturer Moderna.

Here are four things to know about the mRNA-4157/V940 cancer vaccine and what the company has in store for upcoming clinical trials.

1. The mRNA vaccine is personalized

Moderna's mRNA vaccine is personalized for each patient. The vaccine is designed to prime the immune system in a way that allows a patient to generate a tailored antitumor response specific to their tumor mutations.

2. Development, distribution happens quickly
3. Adverse events higher in the experimental arm
4. Moderna's plans to expand beyond melanoma

Moderna is still developing a phase 3 clinical trial for mRNA-4157/V940, which the company hopes to launch sometime in 2023, Holen said during a press conference. Moderna also plans to expand its personalized mRNA vaccine approach beyond melanoma to other tumor types but has not begun that expansion yet.

Source: MEDspace