Moderna-Merck Melanoma Vaccine Meets Primary Endpoint in Late-Stage Trial
MRNA has more than doubled off its 52-week low of $22.28.
Summary
Moderna and Merck's personalized mRNA cancer vaccine intismeran, combined with Keytruda, met its primary endpoint of extending recurrence-free survival in high-risk melanoma patients, and also met a secondary endpoint of preventing distant metastasis. This is the first successful late-stage trial for a personalized mRNA cancer therapy, validating the platform and opening a path into the $240B+ oncology market. Moderna, which has posted consecutive losses since COVID vaccine sales declined, now positions itself as an oncology company with potential launch in 2027. Merck gains a new drug to offset Keytruda's impending patent cliff. Specific efficacy numbers were not disclosed; full data will be presented at a medical conference later this year. The news follows Moderna's recent FDA approval of its mRNA flu vaccine and a Q2 loss of $1.97/share, making this a pivotal inflection for the company's pipeline.
At the time of this announcement, MRNA was trading at $63.01 on NASDAQ in the Life Sciences sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $25.1B. The 52-week trading range was $22.28 to $85.60. This news item was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 9 out of 10. Source: Dow Jones Newswires.