Moderna and Merck Cancer Vaccine Trial Results

Two drug makers, uh, Moderna and Merck, gave an overview,

uh, of a clinical trial that was testing, um, a new

cancer vaccine, uh, together with a widely used cancer

treatment from Merck called Keytruda.

Uh, it was testing it in melanoma patients

and, uh, it was a

large trial, uh, and they said that what they found is that it

works better than just Keytruda by itself, uh, when

it comes to preventing the disease from returning, uh, or

from spreading to other parts of the body.

The trial itself was looking at patients who had just had their

tumors removed surgically. At the moment, uh, Moderna has

told us that they expect that there are thousands of patients, uh, who

could benefit from this if they receive regulatory approval, uh,

and that

that approval, their aim is to get it, um, sometime in twenty

twenty-seven. This is designed to treat melanoma, uh,

but there are dozens of studies looking at this in all kinds of

cancers, in lung cancer, in pancreatic cancer, colon cancer,

uh, a, a wide array. So this is the first sign

scientifically, uh, that in a large setting compared

to other kinds of treatment, that this works.

The news is extremely significant for Moderna.

Our readers may know Moderna as the maker of a very effective

COVID-19 vaccine, uh, and their, you know, their

fortunes surged on that vaccine, you know, during and immediately after the

pandemic. Uh, but since then, use of the vaccine has, has

slowed, and the idea of a, of a cancer vaccine based on

its mRNA technology, uh, has attracted a lot of

interest. The news today signals that there is more evidence to

think that that hope will materialize, and it will become a big marketplace.

The results are also, uh, a real positive for Merck.

Uh, you know, they are very well known for Keytruda, uh,

for cancer patients.

They are testing this vaccine approach, this, i-- in a number of different

trials. Uh, so it opens up a new possibility for,

for Merck

and its, you know, and its own therapy.

Uh, and that is significant because the patent

on that,

on Keytruda, is expected to expire within

or later in this decade

and, you know, and, and this is, you know, opening up their market for them.