Moderna, Merck and melanoma
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A personalized vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and Merck & Co. helped reduce the recurrence of melanoma in a large, late-stage trial, raising expectations for treating the deadliest form of skin cancer and showing the promise of the embattled mRNA technology.
Shares of Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA | MRNA Price Prediction) are rocketing higher Wednesday morning, with the stock up 93% to $121.76 in early Wednesday trading after the company and partner Merck (NYSE:MRK) announced that their Phase 3 melanoma trial met its primary endpoint.
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The late-stage melanoma trial with Merck’s Keytruda shows both lower recurrence and less spread, with no new safety signals—this is the clearest proof yet that Moderna’s personalized mRNA can work as an add-on to a major checkpoint therapy.