science
mRNA Therapy With Immunotherapy Cuts Melanoma Recurrence Risk by 49 Percent
A five-year follow-up of a phase 2b trial found the combination reduced recurrence or death compared with immunotherapy alone. The therapy is now in phase 3 testing for several cancers.
Jun 2, 1:03 PM·1m read1 source
Fox NewsAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
A personalized mRNA therapy combined with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 49 percent after five years compared with pembrolizumab alone. The phase 2b KEYNOTE-942 study followed 157 patients with high-risk stage 3 or 4 melanoma whose tumors had been removed by surgery.
Participants were divided into two groups, with one receiving the mRNA therapy plus pembrolizumab and the other receiving pembrolizumab only.
Researchers reported that the benefit in the combination group remained sustained and durable over the five-year period. The therapy is created from mutations found in each patient’s own tumor to train the immune system to recognize and attack remaining cancer cells.
The most common side effects were fatigue, injection-site pain, chills, fever, and headache. Researchers stated the vaccine was well-tolerated, produced no new long-term safety concerns, and caused no severe vaccine-related adverse events.
The combination is currently being tested in a phase 3 trial called INTerpath across several hard-to-treat cancers. Company statements noted the data support continued investment in the mRNA platform for oncology applications.
