Moderna to present Phase III mRNA vaccine data in Spain — MarketWatch
Biotechnology company Moderna will present Phase III trial data for its personalized mRNA cancer vaccine in Madrid, Spain, on October 24. The results of the trial of intismeran in combination with Merck's Keytruda immunotherapy will be presented at the annual meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology, MarketWatch reports.
Post-surgery study
The vaccine is being tested in combination with Keytruda among patients with late-stage melanoma who have undergone surgery. In August, Moderna and Merck reported that the trial had met its primary endpoint, but did not disclose the full results at that time.
The presentation will take place during the presidential symposium at the European Society for Medical Oncology conference. According to MarketWatch, this format is intended to present cutting-edge research in oncology.
The study's primary endpoint is recurrence-free survival. The full data are expected to show the hazard ratio, an important indicator in clinical trials of cancer drugs.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Expected efficacy indicator
UBS analyst Michael Yee believes that the hazard ratio for recurrence-free survival will be 0.65. In his assessment, this would correspond to a 35% reduction in the risk of cancer returning. Citi analyst Jeff Meacham noted in August that without this indicator and other data, it is difficult to assess the scale, duration, and commercial significance of the treatment benefit in adjuvant melanoma therapy.
To create intismeran, a patient's tumor is removed and sequenced to identify mutated proteins expressed by cancer cells. Based on these mutations, or neoantigens, researchers create an individual mRNA sequence. The drug is administered together with Keytruda, which helps trigger the body's immune response against cancer cells that may have remained after surgery.
After the announcement that the primary endpoint had been reached, Moderna shares rose by approximately 20%, MarketWatch notes.
