Merck and Moderna reported encouraging results Wednesday from the first late-stage trial of their personalized cancer vaccine, potentially bringing the treatment closer to regulatory review.
According to the companies, the mRNA-based vaccine, combined with Merck’s Keytruda immunotherapy, met the main goal of a Phase 3 study involving more than 1,100 melanoma patients whose tumors had been surgically removed.
The study will continue evaluating overall survival, with detailed findings expected at a future medical conference. The companies have not said when they will seek U.S. approval.
Merck’s shares gained more than 1% in premarket trading, while Moderna rose over 10% following the announcement.
The personalized vaccine is designed to identify mutations unique to each patient’s tumor and train the immune system to attack those cancer markers. The companies are also testing the approach against other cancers.
Related Tweet:
Moderna and @Merck today announced positive topline results from the Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial evaluating adjuvant treatment with intismeran autogene, a novel investigational mRNA-based individualized neoantigen therapy jointly developed by Merck and Moderna, in combination… pic.twitter.com/v4DjH0r823
— Moderna (@moderna_tx) August 19, 2026
An experimental cancer vaccine kept melanoma from coming back. It’s the first successful late-stage mRNA study validating decades of custom-treatment research https://t.co/nfhZF7xwq1
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 19, 2026
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