In a new study, scientists from Johns Hopkins Medicine report that an experimental mRNA-based platform has the potential to help deliver next-generation mRNA therapeutics, including vaccines fighting against infectious disease, cancer and autoimmune conditions, faster and more efficiently than the industry standard.

With the commercialization of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, research and development into the application of mRNA in vaccines and pharmaceuticals is accelerating. In particular, it is attracting attention not only in vaccines for preventing infectious diseases but also in cancer immunotherapy.

The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the United States’ first mRNA-based flu vaccine for adults 50 and older, drugmaker Moderna said.

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.

The rally around MRNA names began on Wednesday after Merck and Moderna reported positive late-stage results for their personalized mRNA cancer vaccine combined with Keytruda in high-risk melanoma patients.

Moderna shares more than doubled Wednesday after it announced initial results from a study of an experimental cancer treatment that would be the first of its kind if approved by regulators. Moderna and Merck are developing a treatment using an mRNA-based cancer vaccine called intismeran that is designed to be tailored to individual patients based

Moderna’s shares surged as much as 160% on Wednesday after the US drugmaker and Merck reported a successful Phase 3 trial of their personalised mRNA-based cancer treatment, putting Indian pharma stocks with exposure to Merck’s blockbuster cancer drug KEYTRUDA on investors’ radar ahead of Thursday’s market opening.