Moderna and Merck say mRNA cancer vaccine succeeded in late-stage melanoma trial Results could herald a new, powerful approach in other cancers

https://www.statnews.com/2026/08/19/mrna-cancer-vaccine-trial-melanoma-merck-moderna/?utm_campaign=the_readout&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--Ib0xFLwMoh0sxuC5O3QRXH4wBV01pPZjpY2_GPXw_LUe9hvVnI2Rw5HHINhhoFmvR6UyMHgmENxg6EZFxlENtcmcb-A&_hsmi=433874198&utm_content=433874198&utm_source=hs_email By Matthew Herper and Angus ChenAug. 19, 2026 Merck and Moderna's mRNA cancer vaccine succeeds in late-stage trial Scientists have long hoped that personalized mRNA cancer vaccines could be the next big breakthrough in oncology treatment. Today, Merck and Moderna said they had shown in a randomized late-stage trial for the first time that such a drug can work. For melanoma patients, the vaccine, called intismeran, combined with Merck’s Keytruda, extended the amount of time before their cancer came back and before new lesions appeared in other regions of their body. The results suggest it's now possible to achieve “what might have been considered science fiction 15 or 20 years ago,” one oncologist said.