Moderna and MSD present results of their cancer vaccine in combination with Keytruda

Moderna, along with its partner MSD (Merck & Co. in the US), recently announced that its cancer vaccine, combined with a successful cancer therapy Keytruda improved survival. Moreover, it showed long lasting effectiveness in a mid-term study in patients with fatal skin cancer.

This Monday the company presented data from a trial in which they participated. total 157 people. They show that after two and a half years, melanoma patients who received a combination of cancer vaccines showed improvement. overall survival 96% compared to 90.2% using Keytruda alone.

“An estimated 75% of patients who received the vaccine combination had disease-free survival.”

In addition, it is assumed that 75% of patients who received a combination of vaccines had disease-free survivalcompared to 55.6% who received Keytruda alone.

Recent data have provided more evidence that vaccine durabilityfollowing a December report that showed a 49% reduction in the risk of relapse or death among patients who received the vaccine combination compared with Keytruda alone, with subsequent median almost three years.

Data from last December also showed the combination was generally safe. However there were serious side effects were associated with drug intake in 14.4% of patients receiving the combination, compared from 10% of those who only received Keytruda.

MSD and Moderna, who have collaborated since 2016, are also conducting late phase study its vaccine and the Keytruda combination.