Personalised Melanoma Vaccine Shows Promise in Clinical Trial
A personalised cancer vaccine given alongside the immunotherapy drug Keytruda reduced the risk of death or melanoma returning by 42% compared with Keytruda alone, according to results from a clinical trial. The combination also reduced the risk of the cancer spreading by 38% over two years.
The trial enrolled 1,137 adults who had undergone surgery to remove a melanoma tumour. All received Keytruda, which helps the immune system identify and attack cancer cells. About two-thirds also received the experimental vaccine, Intismeran, while the remaining participants received a placebo.
Intismeran uses mRNA technology and is made using information from each patient’s tumour. It is designed to help the immune system recognise cancer cells if they return. Drugmakers MSD, known as Merck in the United States, and Moderna are testing the approach against other cancers, including kidney, bladder and lung tumours.
Tony Chapman, 75, from Corby, joined the study after melanoma returned following surgery. He remains cancer-free three years later, although he does not know whether he received the vaccine or the placebo. Participants will continue to be monitored to assess whether their cancer returns and whether the treatment improves overall survival.
Researchers and independent experts said the findings provide evidence that a personalised vaccine could help treat melanoma after surgery. They also cautioned that longer follow-up is needed to establish whether patients receiving the vaccine live longer on average. Results from this one trial cannot establish whether the approach will work for other cancers.
The full results are due to be presented at a cancer conference in Madrid and have not yet appeared in a peer-reviewed journal. Wider use would require regulatory approval. Cost could also affect access, because each patient’s tumour must be analysed and an individual vaccine manufactured. Those questions remain alongside the reported reductions in risk.